"Mardi Gras In New Orleans" - Professor Longhair
Recorded in New Orleans, October 1949
This song is not simply Longhair's greatest gift to the musical world: it is, without a doubt, the greatest embodiment of the spirit of New Orleans in musical form ever made. The overflow of life-affirming jubilance, the warm and friendly playfulness, the lazy but funky rhythms soaked in booze, the gritty sense of humor, and musicianship that, at its best, can blow the mind and rock the heart with the glorious musical synthesis of rhumba, mambo, blues, calypso, and so many other genres. "Mardi Gras In New Orleans" captures all of this and more, instantly defining what this city's musical style was all about and inspiring nearly every significant New Orleans piano player since, from Fats Domino to Huey "Piano" Smith, Dr. John to Allen Toussaint.
Miraculously, the song is as individualistic as Professor Longhair gets while still feeling like an anthem of an entire culture. The steady but wobbly roll of the left-hand bassline nearly propels the jauntier right-hand melody forward as they together form the perfect musical parade: all of his songs have a level of tightness that causes their forward march to never halt, but as it cruises down with the bouncy horn fanfares, catchy choruses, lively vocals full of blues grit, and the wonderful, wonderful whistling, it becomes a sprawling and chaotic musical celebration that immediately shakes you down, lightens you up, and sucks you into the fun. Just hearing the damn thing kick in is unbelievably gutsy and effective, so effective that it takes you a second to realize this is actually less musically complex than most Longhair songs. Not that it matters anyway because this level of greatness comes once in a lifetime, and he wisely chose to not mess with the perfection of his piano concoction and, instead, send this song straight to anthemic status with its distinct New Orleans flavor.
The incredible part is that all of these elements come together so seamlessly and organically that you can imagine the whole thing was perfectly formed from the first take. That natural flow is, perhaps, the greatest reason it is still played today during the Mardi Gras festival, widely considered one of the quintessential songs of the city. And even with all the future cover versions, hoards of imitators of this style, and the poor production quality by today's standards, this recording emits a spiritual glow that has never dimmed since it was released. It is a truly inspiring piece of music that captures almost everything I, and so many people, hold dear music, which is why I insist everybody should hear this masterpiece whether or not you listen to New Orleans blues or not. Relistens are guaranteed to occur afterward because who can resist such a perfect vibe?
Verdict: Masterpiece
Be sure to also check out the version of the song on Rock 'n' Roll Gumbo. It doesn't have as much great piano work but sounds even more anthemic!
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