Allen Toussaint and the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame
Watch Allen Toussaint video archive at
The Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame GALLERIES MUSIQUE MAY 2009: Allen Toussaint's The Bright Mississippi Band: Live At The Village Vanguard Broadcast On NPR One of the performances by New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint, during a residency at the historic Village Vanguard in NYC from May 19 - May 24, 2009, wasbroadcast on NPR and is available here. During the run, producer Joe Henry sang "St. James Infirmary" and Elvis Costello was called out from the audience by Allen to sing "Ascension Day," a song from their Grammy nominated 2006 collaborative album, The River In Reverse. In The New York Times review of the show, Jon Pareles writes, "No matter what the source, the rendition was poised and light-fingered, without an unconsidered note. And somehow New Orleans was in every phrase, with hints of swing, of humor, of sly sensuality... It wasn't a re-creation of old New Orleans music but a reverie on a New Orleans heritage: a lifetime of memories refined by a genteel sensibility that finds the elegance in the blues." His critically acclaimed new album, The Bright Mississippi, provided the foundation of the Vanguard performances, which featured most of the players from the recording, except Nicholas Payton, who was filled in for byChristian Scott (trumpet), with Don Byron (clarinet/tenor sax), Marc Ribot (guitar),David Piltch (bass), and Jay Bellerose (drums). Prior to multiple performances in and around this year's New Orleans Jazz Fest, Allen was honored in a tribute at the Jazz Fest Foundation Gala, after receiving the prestigious Grammy Trustees Award and participating in the worldwide Grammy broadcast in February. See Allen live in concert, including stops in Japan and Europe.
JOHN ROGERS /JOHNROGERSNYC.COM
