Bobby Starrr & Mamasweed Put The Grass In Mardi Gras

Not only is Berlin-based label Hypernatural one of the most consistent and reliable around at the moment in a musical sense, but more often than not there’s an interesting story behind their releases too.

This, their latest offering, is no exception. It’s a version of the 1954 hit and Mardi Gras anthem Jock-A-Mo - widely believed to be a Dr John song but one which Starrr and Mamasweed are determined to spread the word about, specifically to get the long denied and overdue props for its original writer Davell Crawford and recording artist James "Sugar Boy" Crawford.

This version, which features Bobby Starrr of Jack The Box fame and the more Krautrock/Zeppelin slanted group Mamasweed, came out of the famed Jack The Box parties that Hypernatural ran at Tresor (before lockdown, obvs). It’s very audibly a reflection of that, one of those tracks used to warm up a crowd and then move proceedings up a notch. The song’s New Orleans vibe stays intact but it’s added to a headnodding, stoned motion house groove and plenty of lovely dubby effects flying around the soundscape.

Nice work, and proof that a good song can work in almost any environment, even if it’s well over half a century old.

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