Allen Toussaint is among the great songwriters and producers of our
time. His songs have been covered by Elvis Costello, Glen Campbell, The
Rolling Stones, The Who, The Band, Paul McCartney, Aaron Neville, Dr.
John, Jerry Garcia, Phish, Alison Krauss & Robert Plant and hundreds
of others. His productions in the 1960s and 1970s--which include hits
such as Lee Dorsey's Workin' in a Coal Mine, LaBelle's Lady Marmalade
and Irma Thomas's It's Raining--defined the New Orleans R&B sound of
the era. He is also one of the great New Orleans piano players, keeper
of a legacy that embraces Jelly Roll Morton, Professor Longhair and
James Booker.
Songbook presents Allen Toussaint in a solo
setting, and it is a joy to hear the nuance that he brings to his own
songs. Toussaint standards such as It's Raining, Who's Gonna Help
Brother Get Further?, Holy Cow, Southern Nights and Freedom for the
Stallion are joined by several new songs. In each of these performances,
you can hear the smile in Allen Toussaint's voice, and his piano
playing, if always heard as a key element on the records he produced, is
a revelation in its orchestral conception and virtuosity. http://allentoussaint.com
