Tuesday’s Tribute to Allen Toussaint = Boffo

Posted: May 1st, 2013 | Filed under: Culture, Music, Personalities | 2 Comments »

The realization hit, as best I recall, sometime in the 70s.

A great majority of the music that really stirred my soul, going back to the Doo Wop days, had a connection to New Orleans.

Either it was recorded here. Or written here. Or performed by someone who was born, reared or schooled (musically speaking) in the Crescent City.

Fats Domino. “Tell It Like It Is.” “Fortune Teller.” Specialty Records, meaning, of course, the Architect of R & R, Little Richard. The irrepressible Ernie K-Doe. “Working In A Coal Mine.”

Then a later wave. Little Feat. “Lady Marmalade.” Dr. John, The Night Tripper. “Sneakin’ Sally Through The Alley.” The incredible horn charts on The Band’s live album.

Of course, the guy whose aura and genius that permeates so very much of New Orleans music for the last half century: Allen Toussaint.

Last night, I was fortunate enough to be among those who celebrated his 75th birthday at an intimate tribute show, benefiting New Orleans Artists Against Hunger & Homelessness.

It was a blessing.

Allen Toussaint is a blessing.

* * * * *

Joe Henry has produced most of the best of Toussaint’s recent work.

The post-Katrina album collaboration with Elvis Costello. “The Bright Misssissippi.” The brilliant “Tipitina & Me” on “Our New Orleans.”

He was on the stage last night, one of those paying respects to the evening’s honoree.

Henry’s singing is unique. Such that I’m not sure the upscale audience understood the brilliance of Joe’s two numbers. Henry’s unique singing style sneaks into the nooks and crannies of a tune, places most don’t even know are there. He finds the nuance, lays it bare, shares the secrets for listeners to ponder.

His first tune was “Riverboat.” I knew that I knew the song but was having trouble placing it. Robin Kenyatta does an instrumental take on “Stompin’ At The Savoy.” And, oh yes, Robert Palmer’s anglicized take on “Pressure Drop.”

When I stopped to say hey to Henry after the show, I asked him about the tune. He gave me more credit than I deserve. “It was ‘Riverboat.’ The Lee Dorsey version, not Robert Palmer’s. But you know that.”

Thanks for giving me more credit than I’m due. I appreciate it, but, frankly, was not familiar with Dorsey’s take. But, after youtubing it last night after the show, I understand perfectly why Henry went to that place.

He also catwalked the edges and underbelly of “From A Whisper To A Scream.”

* * * * *

Deacon John is a local keeper of the flame. He is not especially well known outside New Orleans.

He’s dabbled in just about every musical genre of the last 50 years, but always with a New Orleans bent. (Or, should that read, “bend.”)

He mugged his way through a couple of crowd pleasers last night, during which Toussaint himself sat down at the 88s for the first time.

During that portion of the proceedings, Toussaint couldn’t suppress his smile at Deacon John’s shenanigans. It became apparent that last night, the star was much more relaxed than when he played the big stage last weekend at JazzFest. He was fronting essentially the same contingent of players, but was obviously less worried about changes, etc. It worked well.

* * * * *

Brit ex-pat Jon Cleary stirred the relatively sedate crowd with “Brickyard Blues” and “Wrong Number.”

He followed a couple of tunes by Dr. John, who is a master, but ever so laid back, it’s frankly hard to tell if he’s going through the motions or really into it. He said, “Happy birthday, Allen,” while walking off stage, with his back to the audience and the birthday boy.

I do have a new take on Mac Rebennack’s stage name though. Before the show, I hit the restroom outside the theater in the casino. Strolling out of a stall with his ever present walking stick and plumage was, yes, Dr. John. Whom, henceforth, I’m sure I’ll think of as Dr. John John.

Ms. Irma Thomas was sweet as usual, notably doing “Ruler of My Heart” and “It’s Raining.” (Which it has been most of the week in New Orleans.)

* * * * *

Troy Andrews — Trombone Shorty — did a relatively perfunctory version of “Java,” which was a hit for Al Hirt.

Then, along with Elvis Costello, ripped into “On The Way Down,” during which he blasted a roof raising solo on trombone.

Some really special moments of the affair for me were:

Cyrille Neville’s incredible bluesy reinvention of “Fortune Teller.” He found some angst in that tune I certainly never realized was there.

Toussaint and Costello doing “The Greatest Love.”

Allen Toussaint walking on stage in an iridescent green suit during Joe Stampley’s portion of the show. Then they along with Elvis Costello took it to the limit on the doo wop classic, “All These Things.” Damn, what a great song that is.

Of his tunes, Allen Toussaint did with just the exemplary band, my fave was “Sweet Touch of Love.” They played it with punch. Though, I was disappointed that ELS — the talented back up singers — didn’t provide choral counterpoint as in the incendiary version Toussaint performed on the Riverboat President at the 1976 JazzFest. (Guess there was only so much time to rehearse all the arrangements.)

* * * * *

Allenn Toussaint proved yet again at the end of the evening what a gracious man he is.

His last moment before exiting the stage at the end of the show was an introduction of New Orleans legend Dave Bartholomew, who is old and ailing but in the house nonetheless.

* * * * *

The concert was not as transcendent as I would have hoped.

But it was mighty fine, a loving and fitting tribute to Allen Toussaint, one of the all-time greats in the pantheon of American pop music.

For three hours last night, there was nowhere else to be.

---