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Allen Toussaint: The Bright Mississippi

By Joel Roberts
May 15, 2009
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Pianist, writer, producer and arranger Allen Toussaint can justifiably be called a living legend. A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he helped define the New Orleans R&B sound of the '60s and '70s through his work with

Lee Dorsey

vocals
1926 - 1986

" data-original-title="" title="">Lee Dorsey,

Irma Thomas

vocals
b.1941

" data-original-title="" title="">Irma Thomas,

The Meters

band / ensemble / orchestra

" data-original-title="" title="">The Meters and

Dr. John

piano
1940 - 2019

" data-original-title="" title="">Dr. John, then went on to collaborate with rock giants like The Band,

Paul Simon

composer / conductor
b.1941

" data-original-title="" title="">Paul Simon and

Little Feat

band / ensemble / orchestra
b.1969

" data-original-title="" title="">Little Feat. He also produced the funk classic "Lady Marmalade" for LaBelle and wrote "Southern Nights," a number one hit for, of all people, Glen Campbell.

Toussaint's first solo effort in more than a decade is a heartfelt tribute to his hometown of New Orleans and the classic jazz on which he grew up. Producer Joe Henry, a jazz-loving rocker who also produced The River in Reverse, Toussaint's 2006 album with Elvis Costello, surrounds Toussaint here with a talented and eclectic crew including guitarist

Marc Ribot

guitar
b.1954

" data-original-title="" title="">Marc Ribot, clarinetist

Don Byron

clarinet
b.1958

" data-original-title="" title="">Don Byron, New Orleans-born trumpeter

Nicholas Payton

trumpet
b.1973

" data-original-title="" title="">Nicholas Payton and, from Henry's own band, bassist David Piltch and drummer Jay Bellerose. Pianist

Brad Mehldau

piano
b.1970

" data-original-title="" title="">Brad Mehldau and saxophonist

Joshua Redman

saxophone
b.1969

" data-original-title="" title="">Joshua Redman also sit in for a track each: the cerebral modernist Mehldau showing his earthier side on

Jelly Roll Morton

piano
1890 - 1941

" data-original-title="" title="">Jelly Roll Morton's "Winin' Boy Blues" and Redman offering gorgeous, rough-hewn solos on Ellington-Strayhorn's "Day Dream."

Although he's spent his career in other genres, the 71-year-old Toussaint, an heir to the rollicking New Orleans piano style of

Professor Longhair

piano
1918 - 1980

" data-original-title="" title="">Professor Longhair,

Fats Domino

piano
1928 - 2017

" data-original-title="" title="">Fats Domino and others, is clearly at home playing this music. And the rest of the band feeds off Toussaint's laid-back vibe and obvious joy in revisiting the music of his youth. Highlights include Ribot's spot-on acoustic guitar solos on Ellington's "Solitude" and

Django Reinhardt

guitar
1910 - 1953

" data-original-title="" title="">Django Reinhardt's "Blue Drag" and Byron's moving clarinet work on the gospel standard "Just a Closer Walk with Thee." The set's most surprising and memorable number is the title track by

Thelonious Monk

piano
1917 - 1982

" data-original-title="" title="">Thelonious Monk, which Toussaint and company turn into a strutting New Orleans shuffle.

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Track Listing

Egyptian Fantasy; Dear Old Southland; St. James Infirmary; Singin' the Blues; Winin' Boy Blues; West End Blues; Blue Drag; Just a Closer Walk with Thee; Bright Mississippi; Day Dream; Long Long Journey; Solitude.

Personnel

Allen Toussaint

piano and vocals

Allen Toussaint: piano, vocals; Don Byron: clarinet; Nicholas Payton: trumpet; Marc Ribot: acoustic guitar; David Piltch: bass; Jay Bellerose: drums and percussion; Brad Mehldau: piano; Joshua Redman: tenor saxophone.

Album information

Title: The Bright Mississippi | Year Released: 2009 | Record Label: Nonesuch Records

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