New Orleans

Background

"New Orleans" is a John Fogerty performed track on The Musical Mojo of Dr. John: Celebrating Mac And His Music, honoring New Orleans singer, songwriter, pianist and guitarist Dr. John aka Malcolm John "Mac" Rebennack and his six-decade career. 

Like all cuts on the album, the song was recorded live at Saenger Theater in New Orleans on May 3rd, 2014. Fogerty appears here with Shane Fogerty and the house band directed by bassist Don Was. Other artists appearing on the tribute include Bruce Springsteen, Aaron Neville, Irma Thomas and Mavis Staples, to name just a few. 

American TV viewers got to pre-taste the tribute concert several months before the release of the CD and DVD since it was aired by AXS-TV on March 20th, 2016. 

"New Orleans" was first recorded by Gary U.S. Bonds in 1960. It reached #6 in the USA. The song has since been covered by a countless number of bands and artists. 

Personnel

Guitar and vocals: John Fogerty

Guitar: Shane Fogerty

Drums: Kenny Aronoff

Bass: Don Was

Keyboards: Chuck Leavell

Guitar: Brian Stoltz

Piano: John Gros

Saxophone: Khris Royal 

Trumpet: Bobby Campo

Trombone: Mark Mullins 

Backing vocals: The McCrary Sisters (Alfreda, Ann and Regina)

Trivia 

The Dr. John tribute is the second collaboration between John Fogerty and Don Was who also appears on the bass on "Rockin' in the Free World", performing live with Fogerty and the all-stars band on the Neil Young tribute DVD.  

The Saenger Theater version of "New Orleans" by John Fogerty was also unleashed as a single on August 26th, 2016. 

Live versions

John Fogerty added "New Orleans" to his concert programming one day after the taping session at Saenger Theater. He performed the song at New Orleans Jazz Festival on May 4th, 2014. The concert was broadcast live by AXS-TV in the USA.  Since then, he has delivered the Royster-Guida number regularly on stage. 

Another  concert with "New Orleans" on the set list took place at Stagecoach Country Festival on April 30th, 2016. It was streamed live on their website.   

During his residency at the Venetian in Las Vegas in 2016, a horn section of Rob Stone (sax), Jason Levi (trumpet) and Randy Crawford (trombone) joined Fogerty and the band during "New Orleans".  On the Blues And Boys Tour in summer 2018 the trio consisted of Nathan Collins (saxophone),  Steve Robinson (trombone) and Ethan Chilton (trumpet). 

Soundboard recordings of most of the John Fogerty concerts after fall 2013 were made officially available as files.  

Critical reception

"Taking the audience on a celebratory stroll through some of the city's most distinctive sights, sounds and even smells, "New Orleans" touts the virtues of Basin Street, Dixieland jazz Southern belles, magnolias and honeysuckle. While Fogerty and band, which includes the project's musical director, producer and bassist Don Was, are supplemented by a tasty horn section and spirited backup singers, the crowd that packed New Orleans' Saenger Theatre revels in the opportunity to get in on the tune's familiar "hey, hey, hey, yeah " refrain."  

-Stephen L. Betts, The Rolling Stone, August 26th, 2016. 

"The performances are easygoing and relaxed, the guitar work sometimes searing, and the horns and keyboards constantly giving the set a bayou sense of time and place. It's a New Orleans sound that Dr. John has distilled over time, combining so many into something uniquely his own." -Gregory Katz, The Associated Press, October 14th, 2016. 

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