It’s a pivotal year for Dr. John (a.k.a Mac Rebennack), the iconic and internationally revered musician and class of 2011 Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, who has a major three week artist-in-residency, “Dr. John: Insides Out,” at New York’s prestigious Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) starting March 29 and a mind-blowing new album ‘Locked Down,’ produced by The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach out April 3 on Nonesuch. ‘Locked Down’ is already being talked about as a high point of Dr. John’s 50+ year career.
Dr. John will visit the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) for “Dr. John: Insides Out” with an extraordinary entourage of musical guests for an artistic residency, an honor previously enjoyed only by Paul Simon, offering three distinct perspectives on his formidable career over nine nights:
• “A Louis Armstrong Tribute” (March 29-31), an homage to the great Louis Armstrong by Dr. John and his collaborators.
• “Locked Down” (April 5-7), the first time Dr. John, Auerbach, and their handpicked band will perform songs from the new album of the same name.
• “Funky But It’s Nu Awlins” (April 12-14), an all-out funk-infused night of New Orleans music featuring key players from the Crescent City including The Blind Boys of Alabama.
‘Locked Down,’ stems from a performance collaboration between Dr. John and longtime fan Auerbach at Bonnaroo 2011 and was recorded late last year in Nashville at Auberbach’s Easy Eye Sound. It features Dr. John on keyboards and lead vocals and Dan Auberbach on guitar, percussion and background vocals, along with other young musicians chosen by Auerbach. Pre-orders of Locked Down at www.nonesuch.com, available now, come with a photographic print of Dr. John and Dan Auerbach.
