Day 3: Dr. John Has Died

A Lunch, A Second Line, and the North Shore

We spent so much time out and about yesterday that we didn’t hear about the passing of New Orleans icon Mac Rebennack (AKA “Dr. John”, AKA “The Night Tripper”) until late.

In the early 1990s, I was very fortunate to meet and become friends with a bass player named David Berard. Dave played with a few bands that I knew, and then eventually landed a gig playing for Dr. John. As a result, when I had the chance to go to one of their gigs, I usually went backstage afterward. The first few times, I didn’t say much; didn’t want to be one of “those” fans. But one time — I’m pretty sure it was at a gig in Baton Rouge with my girlfriend at the time — Mac saw me and said hello first. Just as I was saying hello back, someone asked him to play a song. (There was a small upright piano in the green room, but I thought the request was kind of bad form). Apparently, though, he didn’t mind. After he finished eating, he washed up and sat down on the bench. Berard kind of pushed me over toward the piano and told Mac that I’d been studying his playing (which was true, but geez, Dave, really?). Before I could say anything, Dr. John said, “Whatchawannaloyne?” which means “What do you want to learn?” in New Orleanian. I couldn’t think of anything intelligent at this point so I said, “There’s a lick you do – that all the New Orleans guys do. It sounds like you’re slurring up two notes at the same time in thirds. I don’t know how to explain it.”

So he played EXACTLY what I was talking about, slowly, in C and then again in E-flat to show me that the fingering could be the same. And from there he launched into a song for the person who had asked. I couldn’t tell you what song, because the drumming of my heartbeat was filling my head….

Yesterday, I posted the video of me playing with my “Pops” (Les Getrex) in the French Quarter. We played Professor Longhair’s “Mardi Gras Song” and I used that very lick (in B-flat) about a dozen times. I’m no Dr. John. Hell, I wasn’t fit to carry his cane, much less his torch, but boy, there’s a little piece of him I can carry with me that’s all mine.

Today, we went to meet Les and his wife Jackie for lunch at Landry’s on the lakefront. We got to talking about Dr. John, and I told him I’d heard that there was going to be a second line for him, and I’d love to bring the family (especially the kids) to a real New Orleans second line. What a pity it would be to miss Dr. John’s celebration. However, it was getting kind of close to the 4 pm start time, and I figured we’d never find parking anyway. Turns out that Les knows Kermit Ruffins, the great New Orleans trumpeter (who’s just a little older than I am), and who was organizing the whole thing. So he calls Kermit, can’t get an answer, and says, “Don’t worry about it. When we finish lunch, y’all just follow us down to Tremé. I’ll find you a place to park.”

Sure enough, he brought us down Esplanade, into Tremé, and found us parking just around the corner from 1500 Claiborne, where Kermit has his “Mother-in-Law Lounge” (named for Ernie K-Doe’s song).

So I not only got to bring my wife and kids to be part of a real New Orleans second line, but Dr. John’s second line. (Click for link to our video.)

It. Was. Beautiful.

I know he never knew my name, and I spent all of about one hour total in his presence across several encounters. But there was a connection for me, you know? I feel the loss.

But because being in a second line is a good thing, a thing of celebration, I was happy when we left. And I wasn’t ready for the day to be over yet. So as we headed west on I-10 and got close to the Causeway, I asked the family if they wanted to see the North Shore and a helluva bridge across Lake Pontchartrain. Everyone was game.

My old high school friend, Randi Brown, and her husband and kids live in Mandeville on that side of the lake. I had the address and decided to surprise her.

She wasn’t home.

Undeterred, we decided to have some fun. We started to take pictures of ourselves stalking around the outside of her house, and then texting the photos to her when she suddenly pulled into the driveway behind us. After a happy reunion, we went inside, and her husband Cameron soon joined us. It was a great, relaxed visit. I’m glad we made that last-minute turn onto the causeway.

The friends we were staying with, Shelby and Sherri, waited for us for dinner. We grabbed some sports pub grub, took it home, and reminisced until bed time.

Tomorrow morning, we leave for points west, finishing in Austin. I can’t think of a more perfect New Orleans vacation to have left behind us: great friends, our favorite foods, a second line, more food, and more friends.

Here’s the slideshow for Day 3.