“Here Come The Girls” (PDF) from the Trombone Shorty album, Parking Lot Symphony.

“Burn! K-Doe! Burn!”

The tradition of New Orleans music honors its roots.  Ernie K-Doe was a celebrated R&B singer whose infamous hits, “Mother-In-Law,” “A Certain Girl,” and “Here Come The Girls” were penned by the legendary Allen Toussaint.  But like all good frontmen, K-Doe made those songs his own with his showmanship.  His obituary in the New York Times and NPR’s feature story both highlight his colorful career, while American Routes devoted an episode of its show to his music.

In keeping with tradition, Trombone Shorty features his version of the K-Doe tune as a promotional single for the album to pay respect to both the singer and composer, while also showcasing his own talent with the addition of a trombone solo.  Despite the stadium rock presence throughout the album, Shorty’s rhythmic playing retains the funky phrasing of Fred Wesley and Maceo Parker by emphasizing the sixteenth-note upbeats, "1+E+and+AH,” the former of which I like to call the Hiccup.  The influence and evolution of musical traditions are expressed in Trombone Shorty’s playing.

Here’s a YouTube video of Ernie K-Doe on the air at WWOZ:

Recommended reading: Ernie K-Doe: The R&B Emperor of New Orleans by Ben Sandmel.  Published by The Historic New Orleans Collection.