Customer Reviews
The greatest of the great Dr John - By: A. M. Mckenzie, 31 May 2007 
GUMBO is one of my all-time favourite albums & my favouritein the cannon of my favourite jazz piano player, Dr John.
Backin the 1970s, a pal of mine was a huge Dr John fan & tried very hard to get me enthused about the Voodoo mumblings that made up albums like Gris-Gris & Remedies ... to no avail. Until I heard GUMBO. Though I didn't know it at the time, I was to become a massive fan (via The Blues Brothers) of artists like Junior Wells & the later Atlantic & Stax musicians. What Dr John showed me here was where those musicians took their inspiration from.
I don't think many will argue that Dr John isn't one of the best living jazz pianists we have, & his perky barrel-house style is very muchin evidence here. And because of this album, I've sought out opportunities to see the great man live & seen his playful duets with Jools Holland on telly, all richly rewarding experiences.
In retrospect, of course, I came to appreciate Dr John's other work, & have marvelled at the range of famous musicians who've queued up to work with him (Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, Mick Jagger, the list goes on), making him the quintessential musician's musician.
Contrary to other reviews about Dr John's work, I'm more inclined to say that if you want an introduction to one of the greatest musicians of the last fifty years, then start here, with a taste of GUMBO.
A documentary of New Orleans music - right timely & timeless - By: , 26 Apr 2002 This was a revelation & refreshing revisitationin those heady hippie days at the time it was released some thirty years ago, & is all the greater for its continued freshness to this day.
Quite simply, it was a firm favourite when issued (not long after seeing Mac live at the 1970 Bath Festival). It is still a top ranking all-time classic & is possibly the essential one to have - but of course there are so many great offerings that it is hard to choose.
So as one of the central charactersin the history of rock/fonk/r&b, with authentic respect for his peers, & a true originator to boot - this album sums it up!
I will continue to turn out to hear the manin action whenever possible.
Just try it. Its good for the soul.
Ray C
Good, but not as good as 'Gris Gris' - By: , 03 Feb 2001 
This is certainly a good album, but not as rewarding as the album 'Gris Gris'. Dr John is a very contemporary & original artist, with some brilliant songs on his repetoire. However, if you have never heard any Dr John before, I would suggest buying 'Gris Gris' first. For die hard fans, though, this is a must.
