For many years Allen Toussaint has been making his mark on the American musical landscape as a producer of great music from New Orleans.
Indeed one just has to pick up an album from great New Orleans groups like The Meters, The Neville Brothers, the Queen of New Orleans Soul Irma Thomas or Lee Dorsey to be caught up in the musical influence of Allen Toussaint.
Crossing Music Boundaries
His music was too good to stop there in New Orleans. His songs has crossed genres and has been covered by country acts like the Judds and Glen Campbell, pop/rock stars like Robert Palmer and Ringo Starr and Soul Funk Divas Lady Marmalade and The Pointer Sister, who made a big hit out of his song Yes We Can many years before it became the slogan of presidential candidate Barack Obama.
Some of his earliest success came through the horns of Trumpeters Al Hirt who had a hit with Toussaint’s Java and Herb Alpert leader of the Tijuana Brass who made Whipped Creama major hit and an instrumental standard.
He has collaborated with some of the biggest names in music, people like the great Chet Atkins and lately Elvis Costello
Reaching New Audiences Through The Stars Of Today
Over his forty plus years in the music business Toussaint has racked up many awards for songwriting and producing and a few of his songs have become commercials for major shopping chains.
His music is now reaching a new audience via singers like Christina Augillara, little Kim, Missy Elliott and rappers/DJ’s who are sampling his early works in their new grooves
Turning The Disaster Of Katrina To Success
Despite all this for many people Toussaint was still an unknown. His name was not easily heard amongst arty music lovers; that is until Hurricane Katrina. On his official website he is quoted as saying: “Hurricane Katrina was the best booking agent” He has been touring around the country ever since.
In 2008 pop/rock icon Elvis Costello came calling and together they released The River In Reverse an album that went on to be nominated for the Pop/Vocal Album of the year at the Grammy Awards.
He has appeared on albums that brought awareness to the plight of New Orleans after the Hurricane and he has also performed on numerous fund raising shows.
Through it all he still found the time to gather some great friends and got into the studio to record and release what must be one of the highlight albums of his long career; The Bright Mississippi.
The album is a gem, a musical delight for the lovers of all kinds of music, although it fits right into the jazz idiom.
Renewing The Musical Tradition On Bright Mississippi
Bright Mississippi released on Nonesuch Records takes us back to a time when instruments ruled the world of music. Where swinging clarinets, blaring horns, chanting woodwinds and melodic piano riffs were the order of the days; it does that without sounding dated.
He touches on the blues, bring backs memories of King Oliver, Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, and soothes us with his smooth piano riffs.
Joining him on this adventure are fellow musicians Nicholas Payton on Trumpet, Marc Ribot on guitar, Don Byron on Clarinet David Piltch on Bass and Jay Bellerose on drums.
Brad Mehldau is the musical guest on Winin’ Boy Blues and he manages to leave all his brilliant virtuosic technique behind and goes for the soul of the song. He pulls it off; it is one of the highlights of the album.
Joshua Redman blows lovely over Toussaint’s melodic melancholy piano comping on Day Dream. Allen sings on one trackLong Long Journey.
Tracks like Just A Closer Walk with Thee, is steeped in the New Orleans small combo tradition and songs like St James Infirmary andDear Old Southland are played with verve and gusto by the sextet one could almost hear the big bands of the early days of the last century in their playing.
The Bright Mississippi is an album that many listeners today would enjoy as Allen is through this music going back to the Old New Orleans while moving forward to a brighter day.
Somewhere out there Jelly Roll Morton, Sidney Bechet, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Thelonious Monk and so many others are smiling.
Tien Providence - Hi Let me tell you a bit about me. I am a writer: author, playwright & director. and I have done some acting. Since moving to Canada ...
