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“I tried to make the songs fit me the best I could,” Dr. John said in an interview on the subject with the Los Angeles Times. “I hope I was always true to the music. I have no idea what the world’s gonna ever say about what that is. But you know what? I felt like I gave it my best.” And that he did, along with some of his friends. Co-produced by trombonist Sara Morrow, the album weaves rare collaborations with Bonnie Raitt, Shemekia Copeland, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Arturo Sandoval, The McCrary Sisters, Terrance Blanchard, The Blind Boys of Alabama and others into fresh interpretations and arrangements of songs from Armstrong’s extensive catalog. The Blind Boys of Alabama open the affair with “What A Wonderful World” which jaunts into Dr. John’s funky New Orleans take on the classic. Standouts on the journey include a bluesy rendition of “I’ve Got The World On A String” with Bonnie Raitt, and “Gut Bucket Blues,” with Nicholas Payton’s show-stopping performance on trumpet. “Sweet Hunk O’ Trash, ” is a sassy back-and-forth with Shemekia Copeland, which glides into a classy “Memories of You” on the sound of Arturo Sandoval’s trumpet. The rousing set finisher, “When You’re Smiling (The Whole World Smiles With You),” features The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, at its pure NOLA best. Louis Armstrong and Dr. John made “the whole world smile” with them, by bringing the musical traditions of New Orleans to the greater World. The reissue of SKE DAT DE DAT celebrates the imagination of both men, and one hopes, somewhere in the “Spirit Gig,” they are still smiling.