Anutha Zone, Dr. John digs deep into that murky musical well once again, with stunning results. "John Gris," "Party Hellfire," and "Soulful Warrior" brilliantly fuse slow-burn grooves, sly musicianship, and Dr. John's elegantly gruff vocals, conjuring images of dark revelry down French Quarter back alleyways. This is the comeback of 1998, hands down. --Marc Weingarten

Review

[Anutha Zone is] deep, dark, spooky and trippy, a walk through the graveyards and bayous where Louisiana magic is real. -- The Los Angeles Times

36:T584,From the very first notes, I knew I had something good in my hands. Unlike a previous reviewer, I don't find "the 'gris gris' stuff" old -- but then, I loved "Gris Gris" best of all Dr. John's older albums, and "Back to New Orleans" best of all his later albums, so that ought to give you an idea of where I'm coming from.Like "Gris Gris", "Anutha Zone" partakes of the spiritual and magical in places -- but unlike "Gris Gris", "Anutha Zone" benefits from all of the higher-quality production techniques of thirty years later. You can even hear a little of "Walk on Gilded Splinters" in "John Gris", with the female backup chorus (mostly the London Gospel Community Choir).And while I'm on the subject of backups, let me just mention how ably the good Doctor is supported by his band. Butt-twitchin rhythm provided by the likes of percussionist Sammy Figueroa and a variety of kit drummers, and powerfully sensitive guitar playing by Paul Weller, Bobby Broom and Matt Deighton.And as for the Doctor himself? He's at the top of his form, lyrically and musically (on some of the songs, his wife Cat Yellen shares the lyric credit). My favorite line in the entire album, from the title track:"And the lesson you can never forget / is the lesson you ain't gotten yet."From somber and pensive to greeeezy richness to unabashed party-fonk, that gumbo-spice voice sure is to my taste, and it's never tasted better.41:T