Bo Dollis & Wild Magnolias - 1313 Hoodoo Street
Two years before the Neville Brothers and their 1975 Wild Tchoupitoulas collaboration, Bo Dollis and the Wild Magnolias had been in the studio (in France) melding Mardi Gras Indian chants, R&B traditions and bop-inspired arrangements that evoked the essence of New Orleans funk'n'jazz.
Unfortunately, only one of the two albums made was ever released in the U.S. (until both were relased on CD two years ago). Now, almost twenty-five years later, Dollis and crew have gone back into the studio and the result is one of the most tasteful and satisfying New Orleans-groove records. One factor is the smooth-but-kickin' horn arrangements of Wardell Quezergue, an unsung veteran of the New Orleans scene.
Another is the hard-core rhythmic fabric woven by a trio of New Orleans percussion aces -- funky Meters drummers Russell Batiste, Dr. John band member Smiley Ricks (himself a Mardi Gras Indian Big Chief), and conga meister Michael Ward, Yet another is the terrific song selection, including three Dr. John funk specials, and a masterful reworking of Randy Newman's anthem "Louisiana 1927," updated to include a Martin Luther King visit to the Crescent City.
Out in front are the lead vocals of Dollis, always a gritty, Baptist-styled force, his gruff shout now polished, more practiced and worn smooth by the intervening years. If you want to hear the essence of African-American musical creativity straight from the streets, you'd be hard pressed to find a recording better than this (ironically enough, on an Australian import).
CD Info
CD
01. I Been Hoodood
02. Run Joe
03. Angola Bound
04. Might Mighty Chief
05. Hey, Hey
06. Louisiana
07. Walk On Gilded Splinters
08. Voodoo
09. Quitters Never Win
10. I Know You Mardi Gras
11. Injuns, Here We Come
12. Indian Red (Chant)
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