The second-line parade of Dr. John crossed Treme's Friday



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The great master of the blues and psychedelic beat of New Orleans, Malcolm John Rebennack Jr., better known by his artist name, Dr. John, died Thursday, June 6 at age 77. Friday afternoon (7 June), an army of good doctors The fans gathered outside Kermit's Treme Mother In Law show for a hot but joyful second-line parade in his honor.

Trumpeter James Andrews preceded the procession with a solo recitation of Dr. John's classic "Such Night" as the crowd closed around him. Andrews introduced Dr. John's granddaughter, Stephanie O'Quin, to join the commemorative hike.

Accompanied by a drummer, a subaphone player and a phalanx of assorted horned men, Andrews led the celebrants under the roaring viaduct of the I-10 freeway, walking through the "Hey Song" in the middle of the concrete columns.

Dr. John was known for many things: his keyboard dexterity, his brilliant writing, his voodoo priest character, his rumbling inflection in New Orleans and his playful fractures and reunions of standard English. If Dr. John described the second-line plot, he might have said that he Roamed at Xplanade Avenue, tarnished on North Robertson and fired. Or something like that.

Along the way, the parade saw huge wall portraits of Allen Toussaint, Travis "Trumpet Black" Hill and Ernie K-Doe, other New Orleans musicians, unintentionally symbolizing various musical influences. from Dr. John.

Free-style dancers practiced their game on the outskirts of the parade, Baby Doll customers parading in clusters, a woman waving a sign saying "Roll On Dr. John", and dozens of photographers / videographers documenting everything from every angle. At one point, only participants and spectators from the neighborhood experienced the second-line parades. In the digital age, second – line parades look like pebbles in a pond, waving in all directions through sharing on social networks.

Dr. John was like that. For six decades, he used his immeasurable talent and eccentric ambience to spread the New Orleans atmosphere on a global scale. Who else played with everyone, from Irma Thomas to the Rolling Stones, Meters to the band, Frankie Ford to Ringo Starr?

The parade ended at the origin of the group, where he played a melodious and melancholy version of "I'll Fly Away", while the barbecue smoke was floating. In the dim light of Mother In Law, Dr. John's granddaughter explained that although she was living in Atlanta, she went to New Orleans when she heard of her death. The parade, she said, was "pretty amazing, really hot, really beautiful."

"It makes me so happy to see all these people here for him."

Doug MacCash has the best job in the world, covering art, music and culture in New Orleans. Contact him by e-mail at the address [email protected] or [email protected]. Follow on Instagram at dougmaccash, sure Twitter at Doug MacCash and on Facebook at Douglas James MacCash. As always, please add your point of view to the comment feed.

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