Dr. John has worn a lot of musical hats during his 45-year career. Born Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. in New Orleans in 1940, he was soon deep in the local music scene, playing guitar with many top R&B acts before switching to piano and forming his own group. Taking the music of the Crescent City as his base, funk, rock 'n' roll, R&B, psychedelic rock, blues and jazz have been added over the years to the Dr. John blender of music cocktails.
His 1972 album "Gumbo" was a landmark, featuring songs by Professor Longhair and the hit single "Iko Iko." This was followed by "In the Right Place," produced by Allen Toussaint and featuring the Meters, with two more hit singles, "Such a Night" and "Right Place, Wrong Time."
He wasn't to enjoy commercial success again until 1989, with the jazz-influenced "In a Sentimental Mood." The album's luscious sound won him some new fans, and a Grammy for its brassy duet with Rikki Lee Jones, "Makin' Whoopee." Still, it lacked the vitality of his classic gumbo funk and rock 'n' roll mixture, and so did others after that, like "Afterglow."