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<\/h1>\n<\/h1>\nBy Jeff Tamarkin<\/b><\/p>\n
For more than a half-century, Allen Toussaint\u00a0has reigned as contemporary music\u2019s Renaissance man. As a songwriter alone, his output is legendary\u2014classics such as \u201cMother-in-Law,\u201d \u201cGet Out of My Life, Woman,\u201d \u201cYes We Can Can,\u201d \u201cWorking in the Coal Mine,\u201d and \u201cOn Your Way Down\u201d all came from his pen. Glen Campbell turned Toussaint\u2019s \u201cSouthern Nights\u201d into a pop and country smash. And artists as diverse as Bonnie Raitt, Ringo Starr, Jerry Garcia, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Warren Zevon, Alex Chilton, Herb Alpert, the Yardbirds, the Band\u2014and dozens more\u2014have interpreted his compositions.<\/p>\n
Toussaint is also a respected, in-demand producer, arranger and session pianist\u2014and has recorded prolifically as a solo artist since the late 1950s. But until recent years live performances were relatively scarce. It wasn\u2019t until Hurricane Katrina devastated his home city of New Orleans that Toussaint\u2014relocating to New York City until it was safe to return\u2014decided to bring his own music directly to audiences on a more widespread basis.<\/p>\n
Toussaint furthers that mission with the release of his new record, Songbook<\/i>, recorded in the cozy environs of Joe\u2019s Pub in New York City. In this intimate solo setting, Toussaint\u2019s performance is warm and compelling with the album featuring versions of his most popular hits, lesser-known tunes, and favorites by other writers.<\/p>\n
At 75, there\u2019s no slowing down Toussaint. He\u2019s collaborated with the likes of Elvis Costello and Paul McCartney, has been inducted into three halls of fame\u2014Rock and Roll, Blues and Louisiana\u2014and in July was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Obama at the White House. So what\u2019s left\u2014perhaps writing music for a Twyla Tharp ballet? \u201cThat\u2019s a whole other world for me,\u201d he says. \u201cNext I\u2019d like to do something in the classical bag. At some\u00a0point I\u2019m sure I will.\u201d<\/p>\n
Why is this your first live album?<\/b><\/p>\n
I\u2019d just never felt previous performances were at a level worth recording. But a couple of people who heard my shows in New York thought it would be a good idea.<\/p>\n
How did you select the songs?<\/b><\/p>\n
I have a few things I always put in my show, including a medley of songs that were popular. But then sometimes other folks give me their thoughts on what I should add from my repertoire, including songs I had forgotten all about. Also, I do a couple of songs I didn\u2019t write\u2014I think that\u2019s\u00a0good for variety.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
What makes a good song?<\/b><\/p>\n
I like a good story. I don\u2019t consider myself a virtuoso vocalist so I prefer a fairly simple song\u2014and if there\u2019s a pretty song, I like that too. I\u2019ve done \u201cAmerican Tune\u201d by Paul Simon, which is one of the most beautiful songs ever done. If it\u2019s to be an uptempo song, I like a groove that holds its own. I like uplifting songs. But I don\u2019t like \u201cdictator\u201d songs\u2014one that shakes its fist at you.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Know a hit when you\u2019ve written it?<\/b><\/p>\n
No way do I ever know that. Some songs I may feel are better for what I consider the artistic value, or something special in it. But as far as whether it\u2019s going to have public appeal or be around awhile, never do I know such a thing.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
You do it all\u2014what\u2019s your favorite?<\/b><\/p>\n
I\u2019d say writing songs, arranging and playing piano\u2014the behind-the-scenes things. Performing would be very last.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
How did your album with Elvis Costello come about?<\/b><\/p>\n
Elvis told me he always wanted to do an Allen Toussaint songbook. I was all for it. He chose many of the songs I had written, some I had totally forgotten\u2014and we even wrote songs together, which was quite a luxury. Collaborating with Elvis\u00a0was really magical.<\/p>\n
Growing up in New Orleans, were you a big fan of jazz?<\/b><\/p>\n
As much as New Orleans is noted for jazz, I got off into funk. Jazz songs are lovely, but I didn\u2019t play a lot from beginning to end, and not nearly as many as it would take to do an album.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Did Katrina affect your work?<\/b><\/p>\n
It actually helped because it put me on the road. It put me out there to collaborate with others and travel more. That brought about inspiration I would never have had. I used to write mostly in one place and just from my imagination. But traveling the world, you get so much more inspiration. So Katrina was a huge blessing for me, and my music.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
What did you hear growing up?<\/b><\/p>\n
The radio had a lot of hillbilly music with saloon-type piano, and of course I heard gospel, which was absolutely wonderful. Then, late in the evening I would hear boogie-woogie on the radio, and I just thought that was most exciting. My mother was a classical buff, and on Sundays she would listen all day. So I was well rounded as far as hearing things. And when I was very young I heard Professor Longhair.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Did you emulate his piano style?<\/b><\/p>\n
I had to be sort of a chameleon so I tried to play everything. Much of my piano is from [Longhair\u2019s nickname] Fess, because I\u2019m a Fess disciple. But I do know that there are some things that I\u2019ve recorded and written and done that are far removed from him.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
When did you know that you wanted to create music?<\/b><\/p>\n
I first sat down at the piano when I was 6. I had a wonderful time as a child trying to learn these pieces and get simple melodies out. By 12, I actually began writing songs with lyrics. From that first touch of the piano, this is all I ever wanted to do.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
How did you place your early hits?<\/b><\/p>\n
By the time I got \u201cMother-in-Law\u201d to Ernie K-Doe, he was with Minit Records, and Minit had hired me to be their music person. I got songs to artists like Ernie and Irma Thomas that way.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Do you have a preferred writing method?<\/b><\/p>\n
I collect scraps and ideas everywhere I go, and I try to put them down in one form or another. I do it all the time, and I don\u2019t need to be near a piano. I make a note, or if I have a small recorder\u2014or these days, even a cellphone\u2014I put the idea down, and start it there.<\/p>\n
Favorite cover of one of your songs?<\/b><\/p>\n
I dearly love what happened with Glen Campbell and \u201cSouthern Nights.\u201d I never imagined it would be a mainstream kind of song. I hadn\u2019t thought of it that way at all.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
How did you get involved in production?<\/b><\/p>\n
I was always interested in the songs on the radio and how they were arranged, how the strings were recorded. When I\u2019d listen to a record I would learn all of the parts. Whenever there was an amateur singer around, they wanted me because I knew the parts of the songs.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
What were the studios like then?<\/b><\/p>\n
Primitive\u2014like Jurassic Park<\/i>\u2014but we were very satisfied. We used Cosimo Matassa\u2019s recording studio. He was a wonderful man, very intelligent with a marvelous sense of humor. We stayed at two tracks for quite a while. When I first went in I could remember recording, as weird as this sounds, straight to disc. If someone made a mistake you\u2019d have to stop, and they would break the disc and put another one on! But we went from two- to three- and then eight-track.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
How\u2019d it feel to be awarded a National Medal of Arts by the president?<\/b><\/p>\n
It must be the top of the list of highlights as far as accolades. It was absolutely wonderful, and the president and first lady were such marvelous hosts. They were totally hands-on, sincere and first-class. They spent time with us\u2014it was delightful. And what an honor!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ALLEN TOUSSAINT At 75, the New Orleans music icon releases his first live album By Jeff Tamarkin For more than a half-century, Allen Toussaint\u00a0has reigned as contemporary music\u2019s Renaissance man. As a songwriter alone, his output is legendary\u2014classics such as \u201cMother-in-Law,\u201d \u201cGet Out of My Life, Woman,\u201d \u201cYes We Can Can,\u201d \u201cWorking in the Coal […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3805],"tags":[4411,7299],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11323"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11323"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11323\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11325,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11323\/revisions\/11325"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11323"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11323"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}