What's Going On

Artists have covered full albums by others in their entirety before (such as roots-rockers Mary Lee's Corvette's faithful take on Bob Dylan's BLOOD ON THE TRACKS), but New Orleans legends the Dirty Dozen Brass Band's version of Marvin Gaye's seminal soul album WHAT'S GOING ON falls more under the category of a deconstruction. Adding strong hip-hop and contemporary R&B flavors along with the expected New Orleans shadings, the Dirty Dozen repositions Gaye's early-'70s sociopolitical statement as a musical reaction to the U.S. government's failures re: post-Katrina aid to the Big Easy. Everyone from Public Enemy's Chuck D. to soul sister Bettye Lavette lends a hand along the way.