The singer/song writer’s latest recording, WhoonDang, came out last week. The video was created using the art of Suzanne Saunders and was animated by artist Ashely Guevara. The album, which was produced by Dave Pirner of Soul Asylum fame, features Ivan Neville and other local musicians.
The video link includes a fascinating tale about the origins of the iconic tune, “Tipitina.”
In brief, Bernstein’s neologism, which is the name of the song and the album, describes a sound Professor Longhair heard during a heavy storm and is said to have inspired the central rhythm of the song.
Bernstein explains how he wrote the song using some of the same lyrical motifs Longhair used. He writes, “In a sense it is a song about the creation the song “Tipitina.” The words of the verses in “Whoondang” are like reflections of the verses in the original song.”
