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Goin’ Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino
By
Published: Jan 01, 2008
Category:
Rock
Videos
Fats Domino: Blueberry Hill
Ain’t That a Shame
Let the Four Winds Blow
Professor Longhair: Tipitina
Dr. John: Tipitina
In the ’80s, when I found myself in New Orleans for three days on business, I was introduced to this little ol’ place at the corner of Napoleon and Tchoupitoulas streets called Tipitina’s. The Neville Brothers were featured for sure and maybe Allen Toussaint and some other folks, all lost in the mists of time.
Do you know Tipitina’s? It was founded in 1977 as a neighborhood juke joint by music fans — the "Fabulous Fo’teen" — so that Professor Longhair would have a place to perform in his final years. "Longhair", aka Henry Roeland Byrd, was a performer, composer and pianist whose music became the spine of many of the rhythm and blues sounds we now associate with New Orleans. Among other compositions he created was "Mardi Gras in New Orleans", the soundtrack for Mardi Gras every year; the place is named for one of his recordings. Along the way it has become a 2-story, 1,000-capacity venue of international reputation.
Has Tipitina’s become out-of-date? Not at all, and if you get over to New Orleans, try to drop in and sample something very real. The Neville Brothers still show up, as have Dr. John, the Meters, Cowboy Mouth, the Radiators, Galactic, Better than Ezra, Wilco, Nine Inch Nails, Pearl Jam, Lenny Kravitz, Bonnie Raitt, James Brown, Widespread Panic, Stevie Ray, Tim McGraw, Goo Goo Dolls, Parliament Funkadelic, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy, Kermit Ruffins, Anders Osborne and on and on and on. You can see they throw a pretty wide net, so you might get just about anything if you go there. Including a really cold beer.
Tipitina’s also has a foundation, dedicated to restoring the New Orleans music community and culture. The Tipitina’s Foundation runs some great programs including "Instruments A Comin’" which buys instruments and arranges internships in the musical industry in cooperation with Juilliard, Brown, the Clive Davis Department at the Tisch School at NYU and Berklee College. You music folks will recognize these outfits — all good stuff.
How do you help and have some fun? Get “Goin’ Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino”. Its proceeds will help revitalize the Lower 9th Ward and benefit the programs of the Tipitina’s Foundation. (None of you need to or should actually go and see the Lower 9th Ward — it will not be any fun at all — but you can help and you will have fun with this CD.)
Did you know that Fats was actually born in South Carolina? (Nah, he wasn’t — just checking to see if you are really reading this. It was New Orleans, 1928.) Anyway this thing is wonderful. Here you have BB King, Tom Petty, Elton John, Joss Stone, [Sir] Paul McCartney, Lenny Kravitz, Dr. John, Bonnie Raitt, Art Neville, Robbie Robertson, Randy Newman, Robert Plant, Corinne Bailey Rae, Neil Young, Norah Jones, Marc Broussard, Olu Dara, Ben Harper, Toots and the Maytals, Taj Mahal, Willie Nelson [he can do anything, apparently], Irma Thomas, Marcia Ball, Bruce Hornsby, Herbie Hancock, Los Lobos, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, Wolfman Washington, John Lennon [magic], Ivan Neville, Soweto Gospel Choir, Sam Bush, Zigaboo Modeliste, George Porter, Renard Poche, Theresa Andersson, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, Fred Wesley, Pee Wee Ellis, Maceo Parker, Jon Cleary, whew, and doubtless somebody I’ve forgotten.
It is a wonderful CD. When you hear Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers perform "I’m Walkin," well, by gosh you’re gonna get up and stroll around the floor. When Bonnie Raitt sells "I’m In Love Again", I hope you’re listening with somebody you like a lot ’cause you’re gonna be full-of-yourself and, well, the rest will be up to you as Bonnie will have helped all she can. If you wanna mourn joyfully, give Randy Newman and "Blue Monday" a listen. Even old Neil Young can get you moving with "Walking To New Orleans". It’s best played pretty loud, at least the first of the 2 CDs is, and it’ll be wonderful "road music" if you’ve got a couple of hours in the truck.
The music closes with "When The Saints Go Marching In." Not exactly Fats Domino, but you won’t care by then!
— Guest Butler Ron Dorchester, a fan of music and music venues, runs a telecoms asset management company based in Austin, Texas with video, internet and telephone assets in Puerto Rico.
To buy “Goin’ Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino” from Amazon.com, click here.
