With a new pair of reissues, Demon Music Group’s Edsel label is the in the right place, for the label has turned its attention to the catalogue of one of the funkiest men alive: Mac Rebennack, a.k.a. Dr. John, the Night Tripper. An A&R man, arranger, producer, artist, and session musician since the early days of New Orleans rock and roll, the good doctor came into his own as a solo headliner with 1968’s Gris-Gris. Since that psychedelic exploration of N’awlins-style R&B, Dr. John has continued to push the musical envelope while making periodic visitations to the music on which he was reared. (See his two most recent albums: the 2012 Black Keys collaboration Locked Down, and the 2014 Ske-Dat-De-Dat: The Spirit of Satch tribute to the Crescent City’s own Louis Armstrong). The four albums included on Edsel’s two new 2-CD collections reflect Dr. John’s restlessly creative spirit and vivid musical heritage: Anutha Zone (1998) and Duke Elegant (1999); and Creole Moon (2001) and N’awlinz: Dis, Dat or D’Udda (2004). All were released originally in the U.K. on Parlophone and in the U.S. on Blue Note.

Though he began as a guitarist, a gunshot injury to his left ring finger in 1960 saw to it that he would concentrate on the piano, where his style was influenced by the legendary Professor Longhair. Gigging as a session player in Los Angeles, Rebennack masterminded the fusion of voodoo chants, New Orleans R&B and funk that became Gris-Gris. Though he originally intended for his friend Ronnie Barron to “play” the larger-than-life character of Dr. John, with Rebennack serving as musical director, he stepped into the voodoo doctor’s shoes himself – a role that’s now suited him for over 45 years. A collaboration with fellow New Orleans great Allen Toussaint and The Meters, 1973’s In the Right Place yielded the hit single “Right Place, Wrong Time” and brought Dr. John’s blend of R&B, jazz and funk to an even larger audience. He co-produced an album for Van Morrison, played with Neil Diamond and Aretha Franklin, and continued to pursue his own muse, sometimes with famous guests like Eric Clapton or Mick Jagger. In the 1980s, Dr. John finally kicked the addictions that had plagued him to that point, beginning a new chapter as a grand old man of New Orleans music – a role he plays to this today both onstage (HBO’s series Treme) and off. In 1992, he returned to the city of his birth with Goin’ Back to New Orleans.

1998’s Anutha Zone was recorded not in N’awlins, but in London’s Abbey Road and New York’s Avatar Studios. Primarily by John Leckie (with a couple of songs co-produced by Spaceman’s Jason Pierce), it featured David Barard, Bobby Broom and Herman Ernest II of Dr. John’s band The Lower 9-11 as well as a number of guest musicians. Paul Weller and Jools Holland joined Dr. John for a rendition of John Martyn’s “I Don’t Wanna Know,” and Gaz Coombes of Supergrass showed up for “Voices in My Head.” Anutha Zone concentrated on Rebennack’s own compositions or co-writes, including the closing “Sweet Home New Orleans” on which he was backed by members of The Beta Band.

In the new liner notes which accompany this two-fer, Dr. John – in a new interview – says of 1999’s Duke Elegant, “Everything felt good about that record.” A tribute to Duke Ellington on the occasion of what would have been the composer-bandleader’s 100th birthday, Duke Elegant featured raucous, funkified versions of classics like “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing),” “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” and “Caravan,” as well as some handpicked favorites like “Flaming Sword” and “I’m Gonna Go Fishin’.” Dr. John would perform similarly transformative feats on Louis Armstrong’s music in 2014 with Ske-Dat-De-Dat.

Duke Elegant was followed in 2001 by Creole Moon, again featuring The Lower 9-11 as well as David “Fathead” Newman, Sonny Landreth, Michael Doucet, and trombonist/horn arranger Fred Wesley. Four songs were co-written with the legendary Brill Building tunesmith Doc Pomus for this “personal interpretation of New Orleans.” The album was Dr. John’s first collaboration with James Brown associate Wesley since 1975, who turned in smoking horn charts to match Dr. John’s furiously rollicking piano. Creole Moon returned Dr. John to his roots but also to the electric, funky sound of his best seventies records – and in case anybody missed out on what he was after, the original booklet (reprinted here) included both track-by-track notes and a dictionary of “Gumbo-izms” that might come in handy while listening!

The star-studded N’awlinz: Dis, Dat or D’Udda, from 2004, continued Dr. John’s theme of looking back. Produced by Stewart Levine, N’awlinz featured Rebennack alongside key creators of that city’s sound such as arranger Wardell Quezergue, producer Dave Bartholomew and drummers Earl Palmer and Smokey Johnson, explaining, “The roots of New Orleans is drums.” Mavis Staples joined in the celebration on “When the Saints Go Marching In” and “Lay My Burden Down,” the latter with The Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Cyril Neville lent his pipes to “Marie Laveau,” “Chickee Le Pas” and “I’m Goin’ Home,” with pianist Eddie Bo handling the spoken word on Bartholomew’s indelible “The Monkey” and the vocals on “St. James Infirmary.” Randy Newman, who spent some of his formative years in New Orleans, dropped by to add to the party with “I Ate Up the Apple Tree,” and Willie Nelson confessed, “You AIn’t Such a Much.” B.B. King joined Rebennack on “Hen Layin’ Rooster,” and King, Nelson, Rebennack and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band all played on “Time Marches On.” Nicholas Payton and Willie Tee were among the other musicians contributing to this all-star set.

For the thick booklets housed in these slipcased editions, Paul Myers has penned new liner notes for both titles, based on his October 2014 interview with Dr. John. In addition, Edsel has happily reprinted the contents of these CDs’ original booklets for all four titles. Phil Kinrade has remastered at Alchemy Studios.

Edsel’s two-for-one reissues of Anutha Zone/Duke Elegant, and Creole Moon/N’awlinz: Dis, Dat or D’Udda are both available now, at the links below!

Dr. John, Anutha Zone/Duke Elegant (Edsel EDSK 7076, 2015) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

CD 1: Anutha Zone (Parlophone 724349549029, 1998)

1. Zonata
2. Ki Ya Gris Gris
3. Voices in My Head
4. Hello God
5. John Gris
6. Party Hellfire
7. I Don’t Wanna Know
8. Anutha Zone
9. I Like Ki Yoka
10. The Olive Tree
11. Why Come
12. Soulful Warrior
13. The Stroke
14. Sweet Home New Orleans

CD 2: Duke Elegant (Parlophone 724352322022, 1999)

1. On the Wrong Side of the Railroad Tracks
2. I’m Gonna Go Fishin’
3. It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It AIn’t Got That Swing)
4. Perdido
5. Don’t Get Around Much Anymore
6. Solitude
7. Satin Doll
8. Mood Indigo
9. Do Nothin’ ‘Til You Hear from Me
10. Things Ain’t What They Used to Be
11. Caravan
12. Flaming Sword

Dr. John, Creole Moon/N’awlinz: Dis Dat or D’udda (Edsel EDSK 7077, 2015) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

CD 1: Creole Moon (Parlophone 7243 5345912 3, 2001)

1. You Swore
2. In the Name of You
3. Food for Thot
4. Holdin’ Pattern
5. Bruha Bembe
6. Imitation of Love
7. Now That You Got Me
8. Creole Moon
9. Georgianna
10. Monkey and Baboon
11. Take What I Can Get
12. Queen of Cold
13. Litenin’
14. One 2 A.M. Too Many

CD 2: N’awlinz: Dis Dat or D’udda (Parlophone 724357860321, 2004)

1. Quatre Parishe
2. When the Saints Go Marching In
3. Lay My Burden Down
4. Marie Laveau
5. Dear Old Southland
6. Dis, Dat or D’udda
7. Chickee Le Pas
8. The Monkey
9. Shango Tango
10. I Ate Up the Apple Tree
11. You AIn’t Such a Much
12. Life is a One Way Ticket
13. Hen Layin’ Rooster
14. Stakalee
15. Eh Las Bas
16. St. James Infirmary
17. Time Marches On
18. I’m Goin’ Home