Dr John live at Montreux 1986 - Mac's Boogie

[BillieJean42]

Makes me want to roll my piano down the hill into the creek! I don't think I play like this even in my dreams! Wow! What musicality!

[maddermofo]

A handsome sexy genius, it's so effortless to him, his left hand moves like it's not even part of his body

[rustygolden]

I have been a huge fan of this man since the "plays Mac" LP. I have seen him in concert twice and even had the pleasure of meeting the man. He is the best boogie woogie piano player alive.

[Theworldtraveller]

@rustygolden Awesome, must have been very cool to meet him!

[rogeliosarambeta]

Que genial Dr. John! Incluso es el mismo año que tocó Talk Talk en Montreux! Ese año fué espectacular!

[maddermofo]

I wonder is he using much pedal work here?? The left hand rings out so well yet not to the point that it seems he's using a sustain

[kingorthy]

Pretty good for a guitar player who started playing piano after being shot in the hand!

[minnescanada]

@kingorthy amazing but true!

[ba5her]

i would give up breathing just to be able to play this just once. He is an uncelebrated master

[Basjuhdeuil]

the way dr john plays the piano is just legendary, nothing quite like it!

then comes his voice and your mind = blown, his voice + piano = perfect!

[maddermofo]

I think he's the only guy who could turn me gay. What a fucking talent he has, so effortless too, you can tell he's not sweating over what the next note might be. It's just flowing out of him

[lisarri23]

He is such an under rated musician, he deserves wayyyyyy more credit, he AMAZING, he should be award after award

[donnaaustin]

hot hot hot

[sosome57]

I don't have a way to explain the physical sensations I get when he plays this, but it's kind of like want to to run and jump over things and spin in the air like a top and do summersaults and make joyous noises - like riding several different roller coasters at the same time I'm having great sex. A great old song and the very best possible interpretation.

[phuquerz]

If this don't make you tap your toes, you dead!

[stevosham]

Truely amazing!!!! Man is a legend to say the least! Watch out for the man of mullis...he can re create this spectcular note by note!! The west is awake!

[jmtappenden]

Beautiful,transcendent music.Thanks.

[pdavies65]

Brilliant! Thanks, Doc. Medicine's loss sure was music's gain.

[2quundar]

To kurtik50. To be shot in the arm & to play piano is probably a guitarist speciality! Things happened the same for Pinetop Perkins, 96 & still playing! ( he plays guitar sometimes, backsatge ...& the good doctor too!) Btw, this boogie is simply...argh. no words...sure he rules!

[kortick50]

can u beleive that he cant play guitar cuz he was shot in the hand but still can tear a piano keyboard up like this? amazing. I met him years ago and he was the nicest guy u would hope he would be.

[jetsedejong]

wow, his best swanee river performance ;)

[starboy288]

Killer boogie piano playing by Dr. John, & on a great sounding Boesendorfer grand piano. Doesn't get much better than this. Totally rocks

Good thing he studied with Professor Longhair to pick up those Cajun-New Orleans left hand moves to steady out his improvising right hand. This is in the key of C, yes, & you bet he plays well in Eb too.

To get a feel for Eb, try Hank Williams' 'Jambalaya'. It's only Eb and Bb, 1st & 5th chords of the key of Eb.

LH bass is Eb to Bb then, Bb to F. Simple.

[sbp902]

Haha! He says "thank you" at the end. That's humility. No, Doc. THANK YOU! He's 69. Great. He has to live at least another 20 yeas!! Another hundred years wouldn't be enough. Bloody brilliant! This is so good. Thanks for sharing this video.

[pyannaguy]

Wanna really hear a guy burn hot and sing up a storm in this solo boogyin' piano mode?

Try Vince Weber's "Vince The Prince" right here on the Tube. He's Dr. John's peer, for sure, in my opinion. I'm not a big "Who's better?" kind of guy; good musicians are like gems that ALL gleam - BUT, I mention Vince because he's never gotten much acclaim, internationally, but, Wow!

He's got a ton of soul and can rock and swing a piano hard and keep it coming! Give 'im a listen?

[ElMonoLescano]

Simple, very simple but play very hot..

swing and balls......

That's it's the music!!!...

You must to play to out....

thanks guys..

[eric669]

to me he's simply  the best blues/boogie pianist living

[perrotthill]

Unbeleivable; I am so jelious it makes me mad. No matter how many hours I practice I don't think I'll ever be this good :( ... Dr. John, you rule

[oscarfhills]

He is one of our greatest musicians. Ask anyone who knows music. But, he is an unsung hero in most circles.

[pyannaguy]

Interesting sidelight for any of you players out there: Dr. John does lots of his best solo jamming in keys like Eb. This one's in C - but he rocks like an SB in Eb, even with the short keys and skinny spaces that Eb presents.

Old timers like Willy "The Lion" Smith prided themselves on such mastery of the whole piano, but most of us mere mortals like to mostly boogie in C (or G) with it's predictable shapes and blue notes that are easily tickled and slid off of.

Keep on rollin' Everybody!

[pianiplunker]

It's interested that James Booker used E-flat for many of his up tempo boogie's also.

[sosome57]

I was wondering about boogie keys. All the boogie players I've been watching are clearly playing in C, maybe G# or F, but most in C. Thanks for sharing that. It clears some things up for me.

[marctrainor]

Holy sheep shit!!! I had no idea this guy was "this" good on piano.  I knew he was talented, but wow, this guy is a top flight boogie piano player. I"m amazed at how great he is. Marc.

[sosome57]

Hehe! Watch the video of him playing Swanee River Boogie with the split screen. He's incredible. Hardly looks like he's even touching the keys. Precision. A master musician.

[terrryc]

It's no wonder the Doc sounds great here.....he's banging on a Bosendorfer piano. They cost 200,000 dollars and won't be built unless the buyer pays them 50,000 dollars up front....

[partynurse58]

This is foot tapin music,foundation style,cant stay in your seat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!love it!!!!!!!!!

[blackcowsteel]

Maybe for those how are interested in this: He mixes up mac´s boogie with the swanee river boogie in the middle of the performance. I like it.

[whobeyourdaddy]

Soundman.....kinda play them all at once  :)

[Roystothecoolkid]

left hand is like thunder

[whobeyourdaddy]

Did a few gigs wid Mac, this is just so he can get warmed up to play.

Seen him play till his fingers bled on more than one stage.

Yat Mac.....:)

[RockRampage74]

It's like freakin' thunder

[darlene1029]

Great!!!!

 Thank you Theworldtraveller

[Manges1967]

Man he can play the boogie OMG ....

[BocaFriend]

Mange! Thanks for sharing this awesome performance! Sent it directly to my Boogie, Blues, Jive and Rag Playlist! Not to be missed! ~Terry

[vwtch]

Makes me want to MOVE!

[gingervytis]

Interesting to observe how flat his left little finger is. I guess it's just comfortable that way, playing that particular repeating riff. I can't do it.

[STANLIZ4]

doesnt do much with the fourth, damaged by gunshot

[stevieb2400]

ouch that sucks

[jtarasta0301]

In an interview I saw the good Dr described it as being "winged". He took a bullet trying to protect his buddy. Protect those hands Doc! haha

[eric669]

the second part is SWANNE RIVER BOOGIE. what an amazing musician he is!

[pashmina858]

This song was used in the movie Cannery Row staring Nick Nolte and Deborah Winger - Doesn't the name Mac's Boogie come from the name Mac who "played" this music in the movie?

[bucksmusic]

I dont believe so - his real name is Mac Rebennack, and the original version is from his album "Dr John Plays Mac Rebennack".

[pashmina858]

Mac Rebennack was born in 1941 so perhaps the movie's character was cast after him. Part of this song is identical to Dr John's Swanee River boogie - did Mac's original contain the same?

[dejemp]

Nop, It comes from his real name

Malcolm (Mac) John Rebennack Jr

[9mej]

to pashmina858 please take what people are saying to you as the truth

[pashmina858]

why would I ever do that!!

[9mej]

because its true

[elainecotts]

Porra o cara toca p/ cacete.... Salve New Orleans.

[lamimolette73]

c'est génial

[ROOTSnBLUES2009]

That is so cool!

I can't wait to see him live this summer in Salmon Arm!!!

Great video!!!!

[fredrik80]

lord have mercy, that felt great boogie on

[9mej]

what a truly great track ive never had the chance to hear much of his instromentals

[turntapzap]

I could swear that he was playing with David Bowie when I saw him during the Serious Moonlight tour.

...God he's the best pianist ever!

[Twwisterjohn]

Now that's the way boogie should sound. He's great, good too!

[eric669]

This is the way to play boogie piano!

grab all the tutorial DVDs he did for homespun tapes over the years (and 3 CDs too), they are sensational. I now play professionally and I've learnt quite a lot from Mac!

[RayCharles000]

cool geil super very good

[gagakym]

Just watched his duet with Jools and on his own he far surpasses that second hand. His prowess and emotion make me happy. Toe tapping, finger snapping, yahoo, happy.

[denhamsmyrna]

considering his ring finger on left hand is CRIPPLED, after being shot off when Mac used to be a base guitarist.... His left has is still pretty dexterious.

[FreeStyleUK123]

Also, I prefer mac to many other current boogie players, this seems a bit more traditional, which is the 'style' I prefer.

left hand is always 2 low to transcribe :(

[maddermofo]

Here's a wicked way to transcribe the entire tune. You'll need to download free software called Audacity. Then download this video, extract the audio as an mp3 file and import it into audacity. You can slow it down to whatever speed you want without changing the pitch!!!!

[FreeStyleUK123]

well, I've just bought his tutorial book + cd volumes 1+ 2, it should arrive in about 2 weeks time.

maybe that will have some info, the left hand sounds really low?

[DanishBoogieBoy]

Changing to Swanee River Boogie at the end.

As for the Sheet music, I haven't found any, but to me, it doesn't sound impossible to learn it by ear. Not really any parts where I thought "Oh my.. how'd he do that..". If I had time, I think i'd transcribe it just for fun.

Lasse

P.S. Nice Boogie performance by the Doc, but his left hand doesn't thrill me.

[maddermofo]

thing is though, the left hand pattern supports the right hand pattern and suits it wonderfully. Plus, the doc could do any pattern he wants, he has just been playing so long that he knows what fits best!!!

[70Martin70]

Just a clearification to previous comment, I think he's also sliding down to E from Eb.

[maddermofo]

That is 100% correct, although one trick I've learned is not to emphasise on the sliding note too hard or it comes out as a cluster. Emphasis on the landing note, the E, is what's important, with the Eb passing note just filling out the sound.

[70Martin70]

I think the left hand is something like this in C (played in a straight eight style):

C C E C G C A G

[FreeStyleUK123]

amazing, I'd pay for the sheet music, even just the bass line!

(i can pick out right hand parts, but left hand is soooo hard)

[maddermofo]

Hey where did you get this clip from??? I'd love to get the DVD of this show!!!!!

[istvanklein]

I have it. It's called Dr John Live at Montreux 1995. I bought it in an HMV in London last year. This particular piece he plays here is one of three bonus tracks. I think the DVD's still on sale. Good luck.

[Theworldtraveller]

Yes, that's the one. It's easy to get hold of - Amazon have it among others.

[maddermofo]

I think I just came

[STANLIZ4]

Stunning stuff, wish h'ed do more like this, inspirational

[matiastsx]

ESPECTACULAR!!

[funkyhipcats]

WOW! N'awlins is so lucky to be represented by Dr John. He is the coolest and hottest piano player out there!

[parson0j]

Quality