At the time of his death in 2019 at the age of 77, Dr John was finishing the recording of this opus, "Things Happen That Way" (Concord/Universal Music).
The music proposed in what will be the twenty-seventh studio disc of the "Night tripper" - since "Gris-Gris" in 1968 - navigates between psychedelic rock and rhythm'n blues, according to a recipe dear to the musician.
It will also have some new country hues.
Alongside this album are covers - "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" by Hank Williams or "Ramblin' Man", a song by Jack Clement popularized by Johnny Cash - and personal compositions by Dr. John.
Willie Nelson, one of the stars of country music, and his son Lukas Nelson, are among the guests of an album recorded in his town of Louisiana with some of the leading musicians of the city of jazz and funk.
Among them are bassist Will Lee and keyboardists Jon Cleary and David Torkanowsky.
Aaron Neville, one of the Neville Brothers, a mythical group from New Orleans, also comes to perform a song with a gospel accent.
Another album will pay tribute to Dr John, a musician who has marked the world of music with his class over six decades (from funk to jazz, rock and rhythm'n blues) and won six Grammy Awards: " Night Trippin' (Tribute to Dr John), by guitarist Matthis Pascaud and blues-rock singer Hugh Coltman.
This disc, announced for September 2, is centered on the first albums of Dr John, those of the so-called psychedelic and voodoo period which had then earned the musician-singer the nickname of “traveler of the night”.
© 2022 AFP