Fats & Friends

It was a hot, sweaty, funky night when this 1986 concert was recorded at New Orleans' famed Storyville nightclub. The publicity material describes headliner Fats Domino and fellow Hall of Famers Jerry Lee Lewis and Ray Charles as "the three greatest rock 'n' roll piano players in the world," and while that label might be a bit specious in Charles' case (there's a lot more blues, R&B, and gospel than rock in the Genius' playing), there's no doubt that having these three guys onstage at once made for a mighty night of music. All were in their fifties at the time, and still in top form (only Charles, who hated hot weather, seems less than thrilled to be there). While their individual sets, including Fats' "Walking to New Orleans" and "Blueberry Hill" and Lewis' "Great Balls of Fire" and "Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On," are not extraordinary, the band that backs them (with players such as drummer Jim Keltner, Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood, and keyboardist-musical director Paul Shaffer) is on fire, and the raucous audience is partying—if you'll excuse the anachronism—like it's 1999. The best is saved for last, when Fats, Jerry Lee, and Ray tear the roof off the sucker with some boogie woogie, country ("Jambalaya"), and blues—only three tunes in the 17-song concert, but this hip and joyous ivory-shredding climax is worth the price of admission alone. Presented in Dolby Digital stereo, DVD extras include rehearsal footage and some new and revealing commentary by Shaffer. Recommended. Aud: P. (S. Graham)