Ske-Dat-De-Dat: The Spirit of Satch

by Dr. John

Overview

Dr. John's Ske-Dat-De-Dat: The Spirit of Satch is a collection of songs by and associated with fellow New Orleanian Louis Armstrong, one of the handful cats who put jazz on the map in the early years of the 20th century. Finely arranged by trombonist and co-producer Sarah Morrow, all of these 13 tracks feature guest stars and a great band. Dr. John goes right to the heart of Armstrong's music, opening with "What a Wonderful World," with a vocal intro by the Blind Boys of Alabama and trumpeter Nicholas Payton as a soloist. It's an illustration of just how much he "enjoys screwing with a good song." Though the song is oft-covered, this is likely the very first time it's been done as pure NOLA funk, with drummer Herlin Riley popping all over backbeat. "Mack the Knife," with Mike Ladd and Terence Blanchard, may start with a monster syncopated jazz-funk vamp, but the seeming distance in the exchange between the two vocalists feels unbridgeable. "Tight Like This" done with a slow, Afro-Cuban groove, features with Telmary and Arturo Sandoval. Unfortunately, Dr. John is all but absen and the tune suffers for it. "I've Got the World on a String" is a swinging, bluesy duet with Bonnie Raitt, with Pancho Sanchez dropping a sweet undercurrent of conga. "Gut Bucket Blues," a punchy, swaggering funk number, features a killer horn break from Payton. "Dippermouth Blues" is a driving, fat, front-line horn number, starring James "12" Andrews, while "Sweet Hunk O' Trash" is a wonderful duet with Shemekia Copeland that recalls thegood-natured back and forth that Armstrong and Billie Holiday displayed on their 1949 version. His distorted RMI keyboard solo takes it to -- and over -- the margin. Anthony Hamilton's vocal on "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" is smooth as silk atop a soulful, contemporary jazz chart. It's followed by two selections with the McCrary Sisters. The first "That's My Home," is an easy R&B stroll with Wendell Brunious on fluegelhorn. "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" is a stirring trad gospel arrrangement with Ledisi as Dr. John's duet partner. "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams" is gorgeous NOLA souled-out R&B with Blanchard and the Blind Boys of Alabama. The closer, "When You're Smiling" is a greasy second-line read with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band that sends this set out romping. Though a couple of cuts fall short of the mark, and the set may have a few too many guests, Ske-Dat-De-Dat is a solid tribute to Armstrong. It does take chances and almost always pulls them off thanks to Dr. John's signature blend of musical imagination, wit, and savvy cool. ~ Thom Jurek

Product Details

Release Date:	06/05/2020
Label:	The Last Music Company
UPC:	5052442013563
Rank:	31481

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Dr. John   Primary Artist,Horn,Piano,Guitar,Vocals
Terence Blanchard   Primary Artist,Trumpet,Featured Artist
Shemekia Copeland   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
The Blind Boys of Alabama   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Bonnie Raitt   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Ledisi   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
The Dirty Dozen Brass Band   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Nicholas Payton   Primary Artist,Trumpet,Featured Artist
Mike Ladd   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Arturo Sandoval   Primary Artist,Trumpet,Featured Artist
Anthony Hamilton   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Telmary   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
The McCrary Sisters   Primary Artist,Featured Artist,Vocals (Background)
James "12" Andrews   Primary Artist,Trumpet,Featured Artist
Wendell Brunious   Primary Artist,Flugelhorn,Featured Artist
Tony Dagradi   Sax (Tenor)
Kevin Harris   Sax (Tenor)
Eric Lucero   Trumpet
Ed Petersen   Sax (Tenor)
Jason Weaver   Bass (Acoustic)
Gregory Davis   Soloist,Trumpet
Roderick Paulin   Sax (Alto)
Roger Lewis   Sax (Baritone)
Reginald Veal   Bass (Acoustic),Bass (Electric)
Herlin Riley   Drums,Tambourine
Brian Quezergue   Horn
Tom Fischer   Clarinet
Kirk Joseph   Sousaphone
Sarah Morrow   Horn,Trombone
Poncho Sanchez   Percussion
Tom Mallone   Horn
Alonzo Bowens   Horn
Donald Ramsey   Bass,Bass (Electric)
Kendrick Marshall   Guitar,Keyboards
Nick Volz   Trumpet
Barney Floyd   Trumpet
Derwin "Big D" Perkins   Guitar
Anthony Gullage   Bass,Bass (Electric)
Carl Blouin Sr.   Sax (Baritone)
Rex Gregory   Clarinet (Bass)
Jamison Ross   Drums
Alvin Ford, Jr.   Drums
Bernard Floyd   Trumpet
Efrem Pierre Towns   Soloist,Trumpet
Khari Allen Lee   Flute,Sax (Alto)
Oliver Bonie   Sax (Baritone)

Technical Credits

Seth Presant   Engineer
Traditional   Composer
Bertolt Brecht   Composer
Andy Razaf   Composer
Harold Arlen   Composer
Bob Thiele   Composer
Chris Finney   Engineer
Joe Goodwin   Composer
Larry Shay   Composer
James P. Johnson   Composer
Ben Ellison   Composer
Dr. John   Arranger,Producer
Eubie Blake   Composer
Joe Viers   Editing
John Burk   Executive Producer
Joseph Oliver   Composer
Louis Armstrong   Composer
Leon Rene   Composer
Scott Billington   Executive Producer
Reginald Veal   Arranger
Otis Rene   Composer
Herlin Riley   Arranger
George David Weiss   Composer
Kurt Weill   Composer
Mike Casteel   Music Preparation
Paul Blakemore   Mastering
Ted Koehler   Composer
Bobby Floyd   Arranger
Billy Moll   Composer
Marc Blitzstein   Composer
Flournoy E. Miller   Composer
Sarah Morrow   Arranger,Producer
Harry Barris   Composer
Mary Hogan   A&R
The McCrary Sisters   Vocal Arrangement
Chris Hill   Cover Design,Package Design
Bruce Weber   Photography
Yoichi Yamamoto   Assistant Engineer
Langston Curl   Composer
Chad Brown   Engineer
Derwin "Big D" Perkins   Arranger
Sophie Smith   A&R
Malcolm Mills   Executive Producer
Mark Fisher   Composer
Andrew Sewell   Personal Assistant
Misha Kachkachishvili   Mixing,Engineer
Andy Tavel   Executive Producer
Jeff Jones "the Jedi Master"   Engineer
Dustin Higgins   Engineer
Jeremy Rojas   Engineer
Will Wetzel   Engineer
Bobby Van Lenten   Cover Design,Package Design
Dawn Boller   Production Coordination
Tisha Simeral   Music Preparation