Working in the Coal Mine

Working in the Coal Mine (1966) by Lee Dorsey is a compact New Orleans R&B album anchored by the title track, a song by Allen Toussaint. Dorsey sings in a relaxed, conversational style over crisp, percussive rhythms, tight horn stabs, and piano parts that blend R&B with early funk elements. The record emphasizes everyday, blue collar themes and reflects the studio-crafted, groove-oriented sound coming out of New Orleans in the mid 1960s.