Iko Iko -- Dr. John & Company

RIP James "Sugar Boy" Crawford. And, per the good Doctor, the Story behind this New Orleans' classic: The song was written and recorded back in the early 1950s by a New Orleans singer named James Crawford who worked under the name of Sugar Boy & the Cane Cutters. It was recorded in the 1960s by the Dixie Cups for Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller's Red Bird Records, but the format we're following here is Sugar Boy's original. Also in the group were Professor Longhair on piano, Jake Myles, Big Boy Myles, Irv Bannister on guitar, and Eugene 'Bones' Jones on drums. The group was also known as the Chipaka Shaweez. The song was originally called 'Jockamo,' and it has a lot of Creole patois in it. Jockamo means 'jester' in the old myth. It is Mardi Gras music, and the Shaweez was one of many Mardi Gras groups who dressed up in far out Indian costumes and came on as Indian tribes. The tribes used to hang out on Claiborne Avenue and used to get juiced up there getting ready to perform and 'second line' in their own special style during Mardi Gras. That's dead and gone because there's a freeway where those grounds used to be. The tribes were like social clubs who lived all year for Mardi Gras, getting their costumes together. Many of them were musicians, gamblers, hustlers and pimps.

Marc Broussard -- Hope For Me Yet

Reflection on a Sunday Morn...

Bo Diddley -- Road Runner

The Man from McComb, Mississippi, with his "box" guitar...

Steve Winwood & Eric Clapton -- Dear Mr. Fantasy

To great partners, for the world awaits...

Tony Joe White -- Rainy Night In Georgia

One of his best...

Grayson Hugh -- The Very Best Of...

DeucE, seen this one yet? I swear he's just got to have some 'Easy in his blood, maybe a former life or something...

New Orleans' Finest -- Ivan Neville & Why Can't I Fall In Love

Some mighty fine funk right here boyz. No better, no way, no day...

The Steeldrivers -- Sticks That Made Thunder

If that old oak could talk...

Keith Richards -- Wicked As It Seems

Ole Keith, always been like Paul Newman cool, dig?

Same In Any Language -- I Nine

Ms. Carmen belts with the best of 'em...

Billy D & the Hoodoos -- More Chicago Style

Powerful stuff...

Honey Island Swamp Band -- Cast The First Stone

Something good from that mean ass Katrina...

Robert Cray -- Right Next Door

Just something about a Robert Cray tune on a Friday night...

Anders Osborne -- Summertime in New Orleans

Been waiting for a good video of this gem for some time... Patience is my virtue. Anders for President, ya'll!

Hadden Sayers & Ruthie Foster -- By Special Request

A repeat performance of "Back to the Blues." Don't think that I will ever get tired of this one. Thanks ALB.

Labor Day Blues -- Bernard Allison Group

On the Cadillac Assembly Line...

Charlie Hunter -- On A Sunday Morn

Just stumbled across this instrumental, check out the wicked combo guitar...

Ana Popovic & Bernard Allison -- Chicago Style

Bringing it home all day long...