Blues

Allen Toussaint: Mr Mardi Gras - I Love a Carnival Ball (2009)

2015-11-15T16:54:08Z

Allen Toussaint: Mr Mardi Gras - I Love a Carnival Ball (2009)


1 	Mr Mardi Gras	4:10 	
2 	Fat Tuesday	3:47 	
3 	I Know You Mardi Gras	3:42 	
4 	Come to the Mardi Gras	3:28 	
5 	I Love a Carnival Ball	2:42 	
6 	The Mighty Mighty Chief	5:09 	
7 	Long Live the King	3:04 	
8 	Lead Me to the Dance Floor	3:18

Producer, songwriter, arranger, session pianist, solo artist -- Allen Toussaint wore all these hats over the course of his lengthy and prolific career, and his behind-the-scenes work alone would have been enough to make him a legend of New Orleans R&B. Thanks to his work with numerous other artists, Toussaint bore an enormous amount of responsibility for the sound of R&B in the Crescent City from the '60s on into the '70s. His productions kept with the times, moving from rollicking, earthy soul in the '60s to gritty, rambunctious funk in the '70s. As a composer, Toussaint proved himself a consistent hitmaker, penning more than a few gems that have since become R&B standards and been covered by countless artists working in many different styles. In keeping with that across-the-board appeal, Toussaint worked in some supporting capacity for a wide variety of rock and blues legends, particularly from the '70s on. On top of all that, Toussaint waxed his own records from time to time, enjoying a creative peak in the '70s with several albums that highlighted his laid-back vocals and elegantly funky piano work. Even if he wasn't always the most visible figure, Toussaint's contributions to New Orleans music -- and to rock & roll in general -- were such that he earned induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.

Toussaint was born January 14, 1938, in New Orleans, and began learning piano at age seven, inspired by Professor Longhair; his style later grew to include elements of Fats Domino, Huey "Piano" Smith, and Ray Charles. As a teenager, he played in a band called the Flamingoes with bluesman Snooks Eaglin. Toussaint caught his first professional break at age 17, when Earl King tapped him to fill in for Smith at a live gig. Not long after, famed producer/songwriter Dave Bartholomew -- whose role in New Orleans R&B during the '50s was fairly analogous to Toussaint's later career -- hired him to lay down the piano parts at a Fats Domino recording session for which Domino himself was unavailable. Bartholomew made regular use of Toussaint, most notably on further sessions for Domino and Smiley Lewis, and demand for the young pianist's services grew quickly, especially after he first displayed his talent as an arranger on saxman Lee Allen's biggest hit, "Walkin' with Mr. Lee."

In 1958, Toussaint recorded an instrumental album for RCA called The Wild Sound of New Orleans, under the alias Tousan; one of his original compositions for the record, "Java," went on to become a smash hit for Dixieland jazz trumpeter Al Hirt five years later. Toussaint also began writing under the pseudonym Naomi Neville, after his mother's maiden name. In 1960, Toussaint was hired by Joe Banashak as an A&R man for the brand-new Minit label; in practice, he wound up masterminding most of the label's recording sessions. It was here that Toussaint truly began to build his legend. His first national success as a producer came with Jessie Hill's R&B Top Five smash "Ooh Poo Pah Doo" in 1960, and the classic hits came fast and furious after that: Ernie K-Doe's pop and R&B number one "Mother-in-Law" (a Toussaint composition), Benny Spellman's "Fortune Teller," and "Lipstick Traces (On a Cigarette)" (both Toussaint tunes written as Naomi Neville, with the former later covered by the Rolling Stones), Chris Kenner's original version of "Land of 1000 Dances," Lee Dorsey's "Ya Ya," and numerous sides with New Orleans soul queen Irma Thomas. Toussaint's singular touch on all these records redefined the sound of New Orleans R&B for a new decade. When Banashak left Minit to found another label, Instant, Toussaint went with him to fulfill much the same duties; he also freelanced elsewhere, most prominently with Dorsey's recordings for the Fury label, and cut a few low-profile singles of his own, mostly for Seville.

In 1963, Toussaint was drafted into the military, during which time he recorded with his backing band the Stokes while on leave; one of their tunes, the Naomi Neville credit "Whipped Cream," was covered by Herb Alpert in 1965 for an instrumental hit, which was in turn later adopted as the theme for TV's The Dating Game. Upon his discharge in 1965, Toussaint teamed up with fellow producer Marshall Sehorn to form a production company and record label, Sansu Enterprises. Sansu recorded the likes of Betty Harris, Earl King, Chris Kenner, and Lou Johnson, among others, often leasing their singles to larger labels for official release. Their most profitable association was with Lee Dorsey, who returned to the upper reaches of the R&B charts with Toussaint-penned hits like "Ride Your Pony," the oft-covered "Get Out of My Life Woman," the immortal "Working in a Coalmine," and "Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky (From Now On)" (covered by jazzman Lou Donaldson).

In 1966, Sansu also engaged the services of a house band dubbed the Meters, who supplied backing for nearly all of the company's productions; after the Meters started making their own records in 1969 (produced by Toussaint), they developed into arguably the top instrumental funk ensemble of the '70s outside of the J.B.'s. In 1971, Toussaint recorded his first solo album in over a decade for Scepter, calling it simply Toussaint (it was later reissued in the U.K. as From a Whisper to a Scream, after its best-known track). The following year, he moved up to Reprise for Life, Love and Faith, and he and Sehorn opened a state-of-the-art recording studio in New Orleans called Sea-Saint, which became the site for most of his subsequent projects. In addition to his solo records, Toussaint was getting more high-profile offers for outside work during the first half of the '70s. He did horn arrangements for the Band, Paul Simon, Little Feat, and Sandy Denny, and his continued work with the Meters was moving him into contemporary funk with a harder edge than his own albums. In fact, he wound up producing two of New Orleans' greatest funk records: Dr. John's Top Ten hit "Right Place, Wrong Time" and LaBelle's number one disco-funk smash "Lady Marmalade."

In 1975, Toussaint released what many regarded as his finest solo album, Southern Nights; the title track went on to become a huge hit for country-pop superstar Glen Campbell, and "What Do You Want the Girl to Do?" was covered by Boz Scaggs, Lowell George, and Bonnie Raitt. In 1976, Toussaint produced the Meters-related group the Wild Tchoupitoulas, whose self-titled debut was hailed as a classic of New Orleans funk. The record's experimentalism signaled a growing desire to branch out in the Meters camp, though, which would soon cause the band's split with Toussaint and, eventually, each other. The absence of their unerring sense of groove was noticeable on Toussaint's final solo LP for quite some time, 1978's Motion. Toussaint's activities tailed off in the years that followed; he still produced, arranged, and played piano on selected projects, which included albums by blues artists Etta James and Albert King, and rockers Elvis Costello and Joe Cocker, among others. In the meantime, his extensive song catalog was still mined regularly for cover material; the Lee Dorsey period was the most fertile, not just for "Working in a Coalmine" (Devo, the Judds), but lesser-known items like "Yes We Can" (the Pointer Sisters), "Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley" (Robert Palmer), and "Freedom for the Stallion" (the Oak Ridge Boys, among others). In addition, "Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues)" was a hit for Three Dog Night, and Bonnie Raitt cut a well-received version of "What Is Success." The Allen Toussaint Collection, a fine overview of his major-label recordings in the '70s, was released in 1991.

In 1996, Toussaint formed a new label, NYNO, and recorded a full album of new material at his Sea-Saint studio titled Connected. Toussaint also began recording newer Crescent City artists in hopes of preserving the classic New Orleans sound. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 in the non-performer category. Going Places, attributed to Allen Toussaint's Jazzity Project, appeared in 2005, followed by the Joe Henry-produced The Bright Mississippi from Nonesuch Records in 2009. Four years later, the solo live album Songbook -- its performances dating from 2006 -- appeared on Rounder. Although Toussaint continued to perform, Songbook was his last album; he died in Madrid on November 10, 2015 while touring. ---Steve Huey, Rovi

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Allen Toussaint - The Bright Mississippi (2009)

2015-11-13T17:29:14Z

Allen Toussaint - The Bright Mississippi (2009)


1 	Egyptian Fantasy 	4:41
2 	Dear Old Southland 	6:19
3 	St. James Infirmary 	3:52
4 	Singin' The Blues 	5:40
5 	Winin' Boy Blues	6:42
6 	West End Blues 	3:52
7 	Blue Drag 	4:22
8 	Just A Closer Walk With Thee 	5:11
9 	Bright Mississippi 	5:08
10 	Day Dream	5:27
11 	Long, Long Journey	4:51
12 	Solitude 	5:31

Allen Toussaint 	- Piano, Vocals
Marc Ribot - Guitar (Acoustic)
Brad Mehldau - Piano
Jay Bellerose – Drums
Don Byron – Clarinet
Nicholas Payton – Trumpet
Joshua Redman - Sax (Tenor)
David Piltch 	Bass (Upright)
Jay Bellerose - Drums, Percussion

The Bright Mississippi stands alone among Allen Toussaint albums. Technically, it is not his first jazz album, for in 2005 he released Going Places on the small CD Baby-distributed Captivating Recording Technologies, a label run by his son Reginald, but for most intents and purposes -- and for most listeners -- The Bright Mississippi might as well be his first foray into jazz, since it's the first to get a major-label production and release as it's a de facto sequel to Toussaint's successful, high-profile, 2006 duet album with Elvis Costello, The River in Reverse. Like that record, The Bright Mississippi is produced by Joe Henry, who has a knack for a sound that's clean yet soulful, one that lets the music breathe but still has heft to it. Henry teams Toussaint with a cast of heavy hitters -- including clarinetist Don Byron, trumpeter Nicholas Payton, guitarist Marc Ribot and, on a track a piece, pianist Brad Mehldau and saxophonist Joshua Redman -- to support the pianist on a run through jazz standards ranging from Duke Ellington and Django Reinhardt to Louis Armstrong and Thelonious Monk, whose 1963 classic provides the album its title. Everybody has a little bit where they shine, but this is thoroughly Toussaint's showcase, a place where he can ease back and string together New Orleans jazz and R&B in his own elegant fashion. And what impresses most about Bright Mississippi is that although straight-out jazz is uncommon in Toussaint's work, this neither feels unfamiliar or like a stretch. His signature runs and smooth grooves can be heard throughout the album, but the relaxed nature of the sessions makes it easier than ever to hear what an idiosyncratic, inventive instrumentalist he is, and that is a quality that's more evident upon repeated plays. Upon the first listen, The Bright Mississippi merely seems like a joyous good time, but subsequent spins focus attention on just how rich and multi-layered this wonderful music is. ---Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

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Allen Toussaint - Southern Nights (1975)

2015-11-12T17:03:04Z

Allen Toussaint - Southern Nights (1975)


1 	Last Train	3:01 	
2	Worldwide	2:42 	
3 	Back In Baby's Arms	4:49 	
4	Country John	4:45 	
5 	Basic Lady	2:58 	
6 	Southern Nights	3:36 	
7 	You Will Not Lose	3:42 	
8 	What Do You Want The Girl To Do?	3:40 	
9 	When The Party's Over	2:38 	
10 	Cruel Way To Go Down		3:52

Allen Toussaint 	- Guitar, Harmonica, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals (Background)
Teddy Royal  - Guitar
Leo Nocentelli – Guitar
Charles Victor Moore – Guitar
Arthur "Red" Neville – Organ
George Porter, Jr. - Bass
Jim Moore - Flute, Sax (Tenor)
Carl Blouin - Sax (Baritone)
Gary Brown - Sax (Tenor)
Steve Howard – Trumpet
Claude Kerr, Jr. 	- Flugelhorn, Trumpet
Lester Caliste – Trombone
Joan Harmon - Vocals (Background)
Sharon Neborn 	- Vocals (Background)
Deborah Paul - Vocals (Background)
Clyde Williams – Drums
Alfred "Uganda" Roberts – Congas

Allen Toussaint produced a kind of masterpiece with his first Reprise album, Life, Love and Faith, finding previously unimagined variations on his signature New Orleans R&B sound. For its 1975 sequel, Southern Nights, he went even further out, working with producer Marshall Sehorn to create a hazy vague concept album that flirted with neo-psychedelia while dishing out his deepest funk and sweetest soul. It's a bit of an unfocused album, but that's largely due to the repeated instrumental "filler," usually based on the theme of the title song, that pops up between every two or so songs, undercutting whatever momentum the album is building. That, along with a song or two that are merely average Toussaint, prevents Southern Nights from being a full-fledged masterpiece, but it comes close enough to that level of distinction anyway due to the brilliance of its best songs. There is, of course, "Southern Nights," which Glen Campbell later took to the top of the charts, but it's nearly unrecognizable here, given a swirling, trippy arrangement that plays like a heat mirage. It's rivalled by the exquisite "What Do You Want the Girl to Do?," later covered by both Bonnie Raitt and Boz Scaggs, neither of which equal the beautiful, sighing resignation of Toussaint's impeccable vocal performance. Then, there are the songs that weren't covered, but should have been, like the nearly anthemic "Back in Baby's Arm," the rolling, catchy "Basic Lady," the stately "You Will Not Lose," or the steady-grooving end-of-the-night "When the Party's Over." Then, there are the songs that perhaps only Toussaint could sing, given their complex yet nimble grooves: witness how "Country John" seems like a simple, straight-ahead New Orleans raver but really switches tempo and rhythm over the course of the song, or how the monumental "Last Train" builds from its spare, funky opening to a multi-layered conclusion boasting one of Toussaint's best horn arrangements and vocal hooks. These disparate sounds may not be tied together by the interludes, as they were intended, but they nevertheless hold together because they're strong songs all bearing Toussaint's unmistakable imprint. They're so good that they nearly knock the "near" of off the near-masterpiece status for Southern Nights, and they're the reason why the album should be a part of any serious soul collection. --- Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

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Allen Toussaint ‎– Toussaint (1971)

2015-11-11T17:01:18Z

Allen Toussaint ‎– Toussaint (1971)


1 	From A Whisper To A Scream 	3:27
2 	Chokin' Kind	3:23
3 	Sweet Touch Of Love 	3:20
4 	What Is Success 	3:34
5 	Working In The Coal Mine 	3:13
6 	Everything I Do Gonna' Be Funky 	3:12
7 	Pickles 	4:27
8 	Louie 	3:04
9 	Either 	2:52
10 	Cast Your Fate To The Wind	3:19
11	Number Nine	3:29

Allen Toussaint – piano, vocals, producer, arranger

By the time Allen Toussaint recorded this 1971 LP he was already a New Orleans R&B legend, first as a pianist, then as an arranger and soon thereafter as a songwriter and producer. Under both his own name and his nom de plume "Naomi Neville," Toussaint spun off a string of hits that turned the rhythms of New Orleans into R&B icons, including Ernie K. Doe's "Mother in Law," Benny Spellman's "Fortune Teller," and Lee Dorsey's "Ya Ya" and "Working in the Coal Mine." His songs would be recorded and re-recorded, branching out to hits by Herb Alpert ("Whipped Cream") and the oft-covered "Get Out of My Life Woman" (which found its way into the diverse hands of Solomon Burke, Iron Butterfly, Freddy Fender, The Leaves, Mountain and dozens more!).

Toussaint had recorded an album of instrumentals in 1958, but the intimate nature of this 1971 release makes it feel like an artist's debut. Toussaint offered up eight originals (including re-workings of several songs previously given to others) and re-imagined covers of Harlan Howard's "The Chokin' Kind" and Vince Guaraldi's "Cast Your Fate to the Wind." The latter two, a country song and a West Coast jazz instrumental, might have been out of place if not for Toussaint's brilliance as both an arranger and pianist. The former, originally recorded by Waylon Jennings in 1967 and given an R&B treatment by Joe Simon in 1969, was extrapolated into funky southern soul that's barely recognizable as the original; Toussaint realigned the lyrical emphasis and buried the trademark title hook in the chorus, arcing the song to a terrific riffing end. Guaraldi's "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" was taken at a slower, more loping tempo and given deliciously bluesy chordings on Toussaint's piano.

Recorded in Los Angeles (much like Dr. John's "Gumbo," the following year), Toussaint surrounded himself with players from New Orleans (including Dr. John on guitar and organ), and together they laid down terrific funk-inspired soul. The instrumentals layered brassy horn charts on funky bottom ends, bringing to mind both the Meters and the jazz grooves of the Crusaders. Toussaint double-tracked himself for the lead-off track's pleading lyric of lost love, playing it desperately cool against the hot backing vocals of Merry Clayton and Venetta Fields. "Sweet Touch of Love" offers the sort of mid-tempo Southern soul plied by Joe South with a snappy horn chart and superb percussion.

"What is Success," is punchy and sly, mapping out the arrangement that Bonnie Raitt would use a few years later, and Lee Dorsey's "Working in the Coal Mine" plays up its New Orleans origins with a thickened second-line rhythm. Finally, the swampy arrangement of "Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky" distinguishes itself from Lee Dorsey's sparer rendition, and even farther from the bass, organ and horns of jazzman Lou Donaldson's 1967 take. The CD's two bonus instrumentals include the Ramsey Lewis-styled "Number Nine" (which sounds like Young-Holt Unlimited recorded at Muscle Shoals), and the lengthy "Poor Folks," which segues back and forth between romantic piano interludes and syncopated funk workouts.

Toussaint waxed several more fine albums in the '70s before taking a hiatus as a front-line artist. Though not technically his debut, this is clearly his true start as a solo artist, providing a good helping of both his vocals and piano playing. Varese's CD crisply reproduces the album's original ten tracks and adds a pair of bonus instrumentals. A pricier reissue (titled "What Is Success: The Scepter & Bell Recordings") on the UK Ace label adds a trio of earlier singles that are worth hearing. Either way, this is an album worth owning. 4-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. --- hyperbolium, amazon.com

Kent Soul has done an exceptional job in remastering and reissuing Allen Toussaint's classic sophomore long-player -- which was known simply as Allen Toussaint -- and the "bonus" selection, a vocal-less blues-meets-funk titled "Number Nine." When these songs first surfaced circa 1970, Toussaint (piano/vocals) had become a decade-long veteran of the New Orleans' Crescent City soul movement. Under his own name as well as the pseudonym of Naomi Neville, he was a composer, producer, and even a recording session musician. He left a trail of influential R&B titles that would resound back across the pond in the form of cover versions by the likes of the Rolling Stones ("Pain in My Heart"), the Yardbirds ("A Certain Girl"), and the Who ("Fortune Teller"), along with countless others. Toussaint's uncanny musical malleability resulted in a diverse yet solid second solo outing. He is supported by Mac Rebennack (organ/guitar) (aka Dr. John), Terry Kellman (guitar), Eddie Hohner (bass), Freddie Staehle (drums), John Boudreaux (drums), Clyde Kerr (trumpet), Earl Turbinton (alto sax), and none other than Merry Clayton (backing vocals) and Venetta Fields -- perhaps the most in demand studio voices of the rock & roll era. The dramatic "From a Whisper to a Scream" perfectly captures the synergy existing between Toussaint's ultra cool delivery and the understated yet piercing lyrical indictment. Other highlights include the pop-oriented, upbeat, and classy "Sweet Touch of Love," the author's interpretation of "Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky" and "Working in the Coalmine." The latter pair were likewise formerly charting sides Toussaint had inked for vocalist Lee Dorsey. Looking forward to the ensuing years, Toussaint garnered sizable clout for providing Bonnie Raitt with "What Is Success." The instrumentals "Either" and "Louie" foreshadow the type of stylish no-nonsense soul that informed his collaborations with the Meters. "Pickles" on the other hand is comparatively jazzier and doused in the revelry of Mardi Gras, complete with a catchy call-and-response. Finally, Toussaint's masterful touch and craftsman-like imprint is evident on the uplifting take of Vince Guaraldi's "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" as he explores alternate textures that lead the melody to some memorable places. While his mid-'70s platters for Warner Brothers may have provided him with additional exposure, this is a sonic touchstone worth repeated examinations. ---Lindsay Planer, Rovi

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Allen Toussaint - The Lost Sessions (2011)

2015-04-12T19:24:14Z

Allen Toussaint - The Lost Sessions (2011)


01. I Don't Need No One (feat. Willie & Allen) (02:20)         
02. Hercules (feat. Aaron Neville) (04:13)        
03. Blues, Tears and Sorrow (feat. John Williams & The Tick Tocks) (03:05)         
04. If You Love Her (feat. Benny Spellman) (02:30)         
05. Omar Khayyam (feat. The Rubaiyats) (02:16)         
06. How To Pick a Winner (feat. Diamond Joe) (02:38)         
07. Fiarchild (feat. Willie West) (03:24)         
08. Hands Christianderson (02:49)         
09. I Love You Still (feat. Zilla Mayes) (03:36)         
10. Man of the Street (feat. Ironing Board Sam) (03:24)         
11. Gotta Travel On (02:54)         
12. Here Comes the Hurt Again (feat. Willie Harper) (02:34)         
13. Get Out of My Life, Woman (feat. Lee Dorsey) (02:22)         
14. All I Want is You (feat. Zilla Mayes) (02:11)         
15. Wait a Minute Baby (feat. Diamond Joe) (02:33)         
16. Working In the Coal Mine (03:15)

Allen Toussaint – piano, vocals

Without Allen Toussaint, New Orleans' crucial musical transition from blazing 1950s rock and roll to the second-line funk grooves of the 60s might have fizzled out altogether. As the Crescent City's preeminent producer, arranger, composer, and session pianist, his visionary contributions provided the seminal bridge to a new sound for a new decade. Toussaint's creative muse was at its zenith during those carefree days at Minit/Instant and Sansu/Deesu. 'It was quite a university,' he says. 'It was heaven. We had a free rein to try anything, and as much as we wanted to.' The 14 tracks on this album represent that glory period in Toussaint's history. Many of these songs have never been on CD in North America. Toussaint is still going strong today. Since Hurricane Katrina uprooted him from his beloved Crescent City, Toussaint has toured more than ever. 'I just love writing, and it seems to even embellish more as time goes on,' says the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, who had more to do with the modernization of New Orleans R&B than anyone else. This album is a piece of history that will never be repeated or duplicated. ---amazon.com

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Allen Toussaint – Songbook (2013)

2014-06-25T16:28:36Z

Allen Toussaint – Songbook (2013)


01. Introduction ( 0:54)
02. It's Raining ( 3:57)
03. Lipstick Traces ( 2:05)
04. Introduction to Brickyard Blues ( 0:39)
05. Brickyard Blues ( 3:29)
06. With You In Mind ( 3:31)
07. Who s Gonna Help Brother Get Further ( 4:10)
08. Sweet Touch of Love ( 1:58)
09. Holy Cow ( 3:02)
10. Introduction to Get Out Of My Life, Woman ( 0:12)
11. Get Out Of My Life, Woman ( 3:01)
12. Freedom for the Stallion ( 4:11)
13. St. James Infirmary ( 2:23)
14. Introduction to Shrimp Po-Boy, Dressed ( 0:12)
15. Shrimp Po-Boy, Dressed ( 3:17)
16. Soul Sister ( 2:41)
17. All These Things ( 3:42)
18. We Are America/Yes We Can ( 4:06)
19. The Optimism Blues ( 2:51)
20. Old Records ( 3:38)
21. Certain Girl Medley: Certain Girl/Mother-in-Law/Fortune Teller/Working In The Coal Mine ( 3:15)
22. It s A New Orleans Thing ( 3:07)
23. I Could Eat Crawfish Everyday ( 2:37)
24. There s No Place Like New York ( 2:26)
25. Southern Nights (13:00)

Allen Toussaint solo performer.

Allen Toussaint has probably written your favorite song, and you didn’t even know it. His new album, the remarkable, amazing Songbook, is a live recording (including a DVD of the performance) of Allen Toussaint, a piano, and his venerable back catalogue. His songs have been covered by such diverse artists as The Rolling Stones, Glen Campbell, Warren Zevon, Devo, Irma Thomas, and The Who. Listening to Songbook, you can’t help but marvel at his songwriting brilliance.

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Allen Toussaint was flooded out of his home and studio and relocated to New York City. There he began to perform solo shows at Joe’s Pub, resurrecting songs he hadn’t performed in years, honing his live show, and developing a passionate following outside of New Orleans. Songbook is taken from those Joe’s Pub shows; an intimate, warm set of songs written by Toussaint that were made popular by other artists.

The album kicks off with a beautifully bluesy “It’s Raining,” written for Irma Thomas. Replete with tinkling of rain on the keys, it is a splendid opener. Did you know Allen Toussaint wrote “Lipstick Traces (On A Cigarette)?” Indeed he did, under the pseudonym Naomi Neville, and he turns in a jolly performance of it, his piano the only accompaniment, save for the woman who repeatedly yells “whoo” between the songs. (She was obviously having a wonderful time and that’s lovely, and I might have been, on occasion, the “whoo” woman. It’s one of the difficulties of recording a live show—you can’t control how the audience responds. And sometimes they yell “whoo” between songs. I’m glad she had a good time.)

Toussaint’s piano is rich and expressive on his passionate “Get Out My Life Woman,” which was covered by possibly every artist that ever recorded (according to Wikipedia). “Who’s Gonna Help Brother Get Further” is a gamboling call and response with the audience.

The songs explicitly about New Orleans are delightful: “Shrimp Po Boy, Dressed” is a gleeful snapshot and makes a shrimp po boy with “a cold, cold beer” sound like the best idea ever. “It’s A New Orleans Thing” is a love song to the Crescent City over the melody from “Tipitina” with the reminder “It doesn’t leave you just because you leave town.” The companion piece “I Could Eat Crawfish Everyday” features some brilliant vocal gymnastics in a joyful meditation on Southern Food.

Toussaint’s “Certain Girl Medley: Certain Girl/Mother-In-Law/Fortune Teller/Working In A Coal Mine” is a wonderful revelation. The quartet fits together perfectly, and his bouncy performance, with call and response from the audience again, because of course, you have to sing along, is a delight from beginning to magnificently flourished end.

I’d never noticed how beautiful the lyrics to “Southern Nights,” the same one covered by Glen Campbell, were. Slowed down and marvelous, it is a true love song to the South. Toussaint ends the album with “Southern Nights” and a spoken word interlude of his reminiscences of growing up in New Orleans. It is funny and transporting and dreamy and wistful. I feel like I should write him a thank you letter for sharing that with us, his audience.

Allen Toussaint is an American treasure. Songbook is an indelible record of his songwriting and performing brilliance, and I fervently hope that this brings him even more renown and passionate fans. He, like so many New Orleans hometown heroes, shouldn’t go unsung. ---popshifter.com

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