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See Bluesy, Boogie, Jazz Musician Dr. John and the Nite Trippers Perform Saturday at ASU

By Bailey Faulkner

Dr. John
Dr. John/offbeat.com

Legendary bluesy-boogie-jazz musician Dr. John will play at ASU’s Schaefer Center on Saturday, Feb. 13. He will be joined by fellow Nite Trippers Sarah Morrow on trombone, Reggie Jackson on drums, Dwight Bailey on bass, Dave Yoke on guitar and Bobby Floyd on organ.

Dr. John

A part of the music scene since the ’50s, Dr. John, known as Mac Rebennack outside of the music world, will come to Boone to continue his most recent tour of the East Coast.

In the last few years, Dr. John has played sold-out shows throughout the U.S. and Europe. Perhaps known best for his 1973 hit “Right Place Wrong Time,” he has continued to write, perform, arrange, and compose music off and on throughout the decades.

He began his music career as a session pianist and guitarist in his home of New Orleans. After recording with notable musicians such as Professor Longhair, Frankie Ford, and Joe Tex, Dr. John — still going by his birth name — began recording singles of his own and eventually moved to Los Angeles, soon taking on the name “Dr. John.”

Before his own music career fully took off, he worked in California with increasingly well-known musicians, most notably Sonny & Cher and Van Morrison, among others. Taking on the persona of “Dr. John, the Night Tripper,” he recorded his first album, Gris Gris, in 1968, beginning the “voodoo jazz” stage of his career.

Dr. John continued releasing albums in the early ’70s, eventually recording alongside Eric Clapton, Mick Jagger and other world-famous musicians. He released his most famous hit “Right Place Wrong Time” in 1973. Since then, Dr. John has continued to write and record music and has performed for his fans around the world.

In recent years, the six-time Grammy Award winner has worked on a wide range of projects with several of music’s biggest stars. In October, Dr. John and international singer-songwriter star Ed Sheeran took the stage at Carnegie Hall to lead a Bill Withers tribute show celebrating Withers and his famous 1972 live performance, which led to his hit live album, at the venue.

Dr. John has also recently worked with Dan Auerbach, guitarist and lead singer of the Black Keys, on an album entitled Locked Down.

In addition to recording other albums and tributes, Dr. John has stayed active throughout the 2000s, often looking back to his home of New Orleans for inspiration. His love of his home appears perhaps most clearly on his 2005 EP, Sippiana Hericane, which reflects on New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

The 1,673-seat Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts is now selling tickets for Dr. John’s Feb. 13 show. While many have already purchased tickets, there are still many available.

Adult tickets for the show are $30, while ASU faculty and staff tickets, even for those who have retired, are $25. Student and child tickets can be purchased for $15.

For more information on Dr. John and Nite Trippers and ticket availability, visit the Schaefer Center online or call 828-262-4046.