He was a link in a chain of New Orleans pianists that includes Professor Longhair, Huey “Piano” Smith, Allen Toussaint and James Booker. But the late Mac “Dr. John” Rebennack started out as a guitar ...

When Ben Alleman was just a little boy, his father handed him an instructional Dr. John piano book. He had no idea then -- with this first introduction to New Orleans-style "keys" -- that he'd some ...