![]() “Get Out Of My Life, Woman” is pure bluesy soul, and his version (there have been many recorded) is exceptional. His material was covered by many r&b groups. Even on lighter material like “Holy Cow” he manages to insert some jaunty solos. He offers brief commentary between songs, and has a self-assured stage presence. But it’s his barrelhouse piano licks that steal the spotlight. Toussaint’s voice has a mellow high register tone. Opening the video set is a funky, down home version of the Lee Dorsey hit, “Who’s Gonna Help Brother Get Further”. His set reflects the vast career of this legendary musician. The result is a veritable historical document of New Orleans music. Piano trills, chord transitions, and complex, stylistic riffs flow from the Steinway. Shifting from straight blues to doo-wop, from gospel to r&b, his piano technique is soulful and tastefully presented to an adoring audience. If this was merely a piano recording, it would be brilliant. Comprised mostly of original compositions that have been recorded over the years by different artists, Toussaint breathes new life into these numbers. Recorded live at Joe’s Pub in New York City, this is a masterful solo performance. James Infirmary Shrimp Po-Boy Dressed Soul Sister All These Things We Are America/Yes We Can The Optimism Blues Old Records Certain Girl Medley: Certain Girl/Mother-In-Law/ Fortune Teller/Working In The Coal Mine It’s A New Orleans Thing I Could Eat Crawfish Everyday There’s No Place Like New York Southern NightsĮxtras: Studio interview Backstage interviewįor those unfamiliar with New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint, Songbook will make them a fan. TrackList: Who’s Gonna Help Brother Get Further Sweet Touch Of Love Holy Cow Get Out Of My Life, Woman St. Toussaint’s certainly earned his familiar gentleman persona, but his best moments still come when he steps outside it.Featuring Allen Toussaint, piano & vocals The truly classic songs here-“Freedom for the Stallion,” “Yes We Can Can,” “The Optimism Blues,” “Who’s Gonna Help Brother Get Further”-all had a hint of grit and an eye out for injustice, qualities that turned up again in his work with Costello. Though appealing enough, all four are a touch on the touristy side. And there are at least a couple of nods to collectors, as he revives “Old Records” (an obscure ’80s gem for Thomas) and his solo track “Soul Sister,” the only song that ever made “Hey, you with the curly bush on your head” sound like a viable pick-up line.Ī handful of new (or at least unfamiliar) songs make the cut two are about seafood and two are equally affectionate odes to New Orleans and New York. Instead of slipping into a self-congratulatory “ … and then I wrote” format, Toussaint takes you back to where his muse resided when he wrote it.Įlsewhere, he does authoritative versions of songs that were originally tailored to the personalities of other singers-usually Lee Dorsey or Irma Thomas, though “Brickyard Blues” is introduced with praise for its original singer, Frankie Miller (whose name oddly isn’t mentioned). ![]() The showpiece is a 13-minute take on “Southern Nights,” half of which is a monologue about idyllic childhood evenings on the front porch. The treat for longtime fans was hearing Toussaint, who seldom gets too deep into stage patter, finally shed some light on his working methods. In 2009, he did the well-received jazz album The Bright Mississippi, but instead of touring that (or playing any of the material onstage), he did the solo piano/vocal tour that’s captured here. ![]() The year 2009 was a late-career peak for Allen Toussaint, who was still on a roll from his Elvis Costello collaboration three years earlier. What’s surprising about this live album isn’t so much the music, but the talking in between. ![]()
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