Various Artists - Quiet About It (A Tribute to Jesse Winchester)

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:03
Size: 102,0 MB
Art: Front

1. James Taylor - Payday (3:09)
2. Rosanne Cash - Biloxi (3:24)
3. Jimmy Buffett - Gentleman of Leisure (4:36)
4. Allen Toussaint - I Wave Bye Bye (3:33)
5. Vince Gill - Talk Memphis (4:28)
6. Mac McAnally - Defying Gravity (3:56)
7. Lyle Lovett - Brand New Tennessee Waltz (3:53)
8. Lucinda Williams - Mississippi You're on My Mind (4:25)
9. Emmylou Harris/Vince Gill/Rodney Crowell - Dangerous Fun (3:35)
10. Little Feat - Rhumba Man (5:52)
11. Elvis Costello - Quiet About It (3:10)

To many, Jesse Winchester is still best known for his ideals rather than his music in 1967, rather than join the military and fight in Vietnam, he emigrated to Canada, and spent most of the '70s as an exile of conscience. If Winchester had been a protest singer in the manner of Phil Ochs, this might have made him a hero, but his songs rarely reflected his political views, and instead were compact, painterly meditations on life in the South and the mysteries of life and love (though his physical and emotional distance from his birthplace in Memphis certainly provided a powerful subtext to his music of the '70s).

If Winchester's music never quite clicked with a mass audience due to his inability to tour the United States during the '70s or the shifting tides of popular taste, he's long been a favorite among his fellow songwriters, and 11 noted performers interpret some of Winchester's best songs on Quiet About It: A Tribute to Jesse Winchester. Quiet About It is that rare tribute album that gives each artist room to find their own musical personality in these songs, while the 11 tracks still cohere into a whole that reveals the depth and lyricism of Winchester's work.

This hardly represents every worthwhile tune in his songbook, but the 11 here are all winners, and the songs bring out the best in the artists. Lyle Lovett (who was clearly influenced by Winchester's vocal style) finds every bit of sad beauty in "Brand New Tennessee Waltz," Vince Gill brings just the right swagger to "Talk Memphis," Allen Toussaint's version of "I Wave Bye Bye" is lovely and heartfelt, Lucinda Williams is all rough-hewn grace on "Mississippi You're On My Mind," and Elvis Costello's lo-fi take on "Quiet About It" is stylistically bold but true to the song's nature. James Taylor gives one of his best and liveliest performances in ages with his cocksure version of "Payday," and Jimmy Buffett (who spearheaded the project) reminds us that he was a gifted singer before he discovered how well singing about aquatic alcoholism could pay with a sharp take on "Gentleman of Leisure."

Quiet About It came about when Winchester revealed he'd been diagnosed with esophageal cancer, and the artists involved banded together as a show of support (and to generate some songwriting royalties); thankfully, by the time the album appeared, Winchester was in remission, and this splendid celebration of an underappreciated talent arrived while the man who inspired it is still around to take a bow. If you don't know Winchester's work, Quiet About It is a sure convincer of his talents as a songwriter, and if you're a fan, you'll revel in some top-notch interpretations of his songs. Either way, Quiet About It is a must, and one of the finest tribute albums of recent memory.~Mark Deming
https://www.allmusic.com/album/quiet-about-it-a-tribute-to-jesse-winchester-mw0002418862

Quiet About It (A Tribute to Jesse Winchester)

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Allen Toussaint - American Tunes

Size: 119,6 MB
Time: 51:09
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: New Orleans Jazz Blues, Vocals
Art: Front

01. Delores' Boyfriend (3:32)
02. Viper's Drag (3:18)
03. Confessin' (That I Love You) (2:50)
04. Mardi Gras In New Orleans (3:13)
05. Lotus Blossom (4:17)
06. Waltz For Debby (3:14)
07. Big Chief (2:12)
08. Rocks In My Bed (4:37)
09. Danza Op. 33 (3:25)
10. Hey Little Girl (2:36)
11. Rosetta (4:07)
12. Come Sunday (5:09)
13. Southern Nights (3:30)
14. American Tune (5:00)

So busy was Allen Toussaint in the wake of his late-2000s revival, he didn't wind up entering a recording studio to begin work on a sequel to his 2009 jazz album, The Bright Mississippi, until 2013 (2013's Songbook consisted of live recordings from 2009). A few solo sessions happened that year, followed by a round with a band and guests in October 2015 and then he died a few weeks later, passing away in Madrid, Spain while on tour. Producer Joe Henry, who helmed The Bright Mississippi, pulled together American Tunes for a posthumous release in the summer of 2016. Tonally, American Tunes isn't much different from its predecessor, yet its elegiac elegance doesn't come from a place of despair: it's a wistful look back at his past and home. Where The Bright Mississippi focused firmly on jazz standards, American Tunes positions these prewar standards as just part of the fabric. Toussaint touches upon Big Easy standards, spinning "Mardis Gras in New Orleans" and "Big Chief" in a way that emphasizes their lyricism instead of rhythm, thereby drawing connections with the Bill Evans, classical, and Duke Ellington covers heard elsewhere on the record. Sometimes, the guests assert themselves -- Rhiannon Giddens commands attention when she sings Ellington -- but the presence of Charles Lloyd and Van Dyke Parks underscores the generous collaborative spirit within Toussaint's music; even when he's heard alone here, he's playing with and commenting upon tradition. American Tunes concludes with Toussaint singing two modern pop standards: "Southern Nights," an original of his popularized by Glen Campbell, and Paul Simon's "American Tune." Both function as revealing footnotes to the gorgeous instrumentals, underscoring his contribution to American popular song and how he found his own voice in the work of others. He was an American original, and American Tunes functions as a lovely coda to a legendary career. ~by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

American Tunes

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Allen Toussaint - From A Whisper To A Scream

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1970
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:29
Size: 86,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:30)  1. From A Whisper To A Scream
(3:23)  2. Chokin' Kind
(3:18)  3. Sweet Touch Of Love
(3:35)  4. What Is Success
(3:13)  5. Working In The Coalmine
(3:11)  6. Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky
(2:54)  7. Either
(3:04)  8. Louie
(3:21)  9. Cast Your Fate To The Wind
(3:30) 10. Number Nine
(4:27) 11. Pickles

Kent Soul has done an exceptional job in remastering and reissuing Allen Toussaint's classic sophomore long-player which was known simply as Allen Toussaint and the "bonus" selection, a vocal-less blues-meets-funk titled "Number Nine." When these songs first surfaced circa 1970, Toussaint (piano/vocals) had become a decade-long veteran of the New Orleans' Crescent City soul movement. Under his own name as well as the pseudonym of Naomi Neville, he was a composer, producer, and even a recording session musician. He left a trail of influential R&B titles that would resound back across the pond in the form of cover versions by the likes of the Rolling Stones ("Pain in My Heart"), the Yardbirds ("A Certain Girl"), and the Who ("Fortune Teller"), along with countless others. Toussaint's uncanny musical malleability resulted in a diverse yet solid second solo outing. He is supported by Mac Rebennack (organ/guitar) (aka Dr. John), Terry Kellman (guitar), Eddie Hohner (bass), Freddie Staehle (drums), John Boudreaux (drums), Clyde Kerr (trumpet), Earl Turbinton (alto sax), and none other than Merry Clayton (backing vocals) and Venetta Fields perhaps the most in demand studio voices of the rock & roll era. 

The dramatic "From a Whisper to a Scream" perfectly captures the synergy existing between Toussaint's ultra cool delivery and the understated yet piercing lyrical indictment. Other highlights include the pop-oriented, upbeat, and classy "Sweet Touch of Love," the author's interpretation of "Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky" and "Working in the Coalmine." The latter pair were likewise formerly charting sides Toussaint had inked for vocalist Lee Dorsey. Looking forward to the ensuing years, Toussaint garnered sizable clout for providing Bonnie Raitt with "What Is Success." The instrumentals "Either" and "Louie" foreshadow the type of stylish no-nonsense soul that informed his collaborations with the Meters. "Pickles" on the other hand is comparatively jazzier and doused in the revelry of Mardi Gras, complete with a catchy call-and-response. Finally, Toussaint's masterful touch and craftsman-like imprint is evident on the uplifting take of Vince Guaraldi's "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" as he explores alternate textures that lead the melody to some memorable places. While his mid-'70s platters for Warner Brothers may have provided him with additional exposure, this is a sonic touchstone worth repeated examinations. ~ Lindsay Planer  http://www.allmusic.com/album/from-a-whisper-to

Personnel:  Backing Vocals – Merry Clayton, Venetta Fields;  Bass – Eddie Hohner;  Drums – Ed Greene (2), Freddie Staehle, John Boudreaux;  Guitar – Terry Kellman; Piano – Allen Toussaint;  Saxophone – Earl Turbington, Frederic Kemp;  Trumpet – Clyde Kerr

R.I.P
Born: January 14, 1938/Died:  November 10, 2015

From A Whisper To A Scream

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Allen Toussaint - Songbook (Deluxe Edition)

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz

Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:36
Size: 181,2 MB
Art: Front

( 0:54)  1. Introduction
( 3:57)  2. It's Raining
( 2:05)  3. Lipstick Traces
( 0:39)  4. Introduction To Brickyard Blues
( 3:29)  5. Brickyard Blues
( 3:31)  6. With You In Mind
( 4:09)  7. Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further
( 1:58)  8. Sweet Touch Of Love
( 3:02)  9. Holy Cow
( 0:12) 10. Introduction To Get Out Of My Life, Woman
( 3:01) 11. Get Out Of My Life, Woman
( 4:11) 12. Freedom For The Stallion
( 2:23) 13. St. James Infirmary
( 0:12) 14. Introduction To Shrimp Po-Boy, Dressed
( 3:17) 15. Shrimp Po-Boy, Dressed
( 2:41) 16. Soul Sister
( 3:42) 17. All These Things
( 4:06) 18. We Are Americayes We Can
( 2:51) 19. The Optimism Blues
( 3:38) 20. Old Records
( 3:15) 21. Certain Girl Medley Certain Girlmother-In-Lawfortune Tellerworking In The Coal Mine
( 3:07) 22. It's A New Orleans Thing
( 2:37) 23. I Could Eat Crawfish Everyday
( 2:26) 24. There's No Place Like New York
(13:00) 25. Southern Nights

New Orleans musicians laid the cornerstone for a large swath of American music, and Allen Toussaint is among the city s most gifted players. As a composer, arranger, producer, pianist and singer, Allen has created an enduring body of work that includes local hits by Irma Thomas and Lee Dorsey; songs covered by Glen Campbell, the Rolling Stones and Robert Plant & Alison Krauss; national hits by Ernie K-Doe and LaBelle; and collaborations with Paul McCartney and Elvis Costello, all in addition to his own recording career. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998, and was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Obama in July, 2013.

Songbook presents Allen Toussaint as many of his fans have longed to hear him, in an intimate solo setting, performing many of his best-loved songs. His piano playing is a marvel, with its orchestral conception and effortless New Orleans syncopation. But what comes across most strongly is the warmth of Allen s performance. The gentle Creole lilt in his voice brings a resonance and a smile to his songs, rivaling the versions he produced for others. Recorded live at Joe s Pub in New York, the deluxe edition of Songbook includes a DVD with backstage and studio interviews. ~ Editorial Reviews  http://www.amazon.com/Songbook-DVD-Combo-Deluxe-Edition/dp/B00BHWG1OO

Songbook (Deluxe Edition)

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Allen Toussaint - The Wild Sound Of New Orleans: The Jazz Collection

Size: 80,8 MB
Time: 34:28
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz: New Orleans Jazz
Art: Front

01. Wham Tousan (2:20)
02. Back Home Again In Indiana (2:20)
03. Whirlaway (2:16)
04. Java (1:51)
05. Po Boy Walk (2:31)
06. Sweetie Pie (Twenty Years Later) (2:45)
07. Nashua (2:31)
08. Nowhere To Go (1:40)
09. Pelican Parade (1:41)
10. Up The Creek (1:48)
11. Tim Tam (1:57)
12. Bono (2:04)
13. Chico (2:15)
14. Happy Times (2:04)
15. Me And You (2:06)
16. Naomi (2:11)

These cuts represent Allen Toussaint's earliest solo recordings for RCA Records circa 1958. Toussaint was essentially discovered by Danny Kessler — an early version of what would now be considered an A&R man. It was during another artist's studio time — featuring Toussaint as the accompanying pianist — that Kessler first heard and approached Toussaint to prepare a few instrumentals of his own. On January 29, 1958, Toussaint (piano) was joined by a local crew that included Alvin "Red" Taylor (baritone sax), Nat Perrilliat (tenor sax) or Lee Allen (tenor sax), either Justin Adams (guitar) or Roy Montrell (guitar), Frank Fields (bass), and Charles "Hungry" Williams (drums). As intimated above, the precise personnel has long been debated. Kessler produced an outing that yielded the infectiously up-tempo blues "Whirlaway" and the Ray Charles-inspired gospel-meets-barrelhouse-meets-swing title "Happy Times." Kessler turned the pair into a locally successful single and was so encouraged by the results, less than a month later the same assemblage gathered to record the remainder of what would be the Wild Sound of New Orleans (1958). The soulful "Up the Creek" is a dark waltz with Toussaint's stirring keyboard runs emphasizing the haunting refrain. On the opposite side of the emotive spectrum, the hearty "Tim Tam" is impelled by Williams' hard and heavy backbeat with Allen blowing his lungs out. Another contrast follows with the whimsical "Me and You." The melody is decked out with a classy early 20th century pop standard feel, while all the more striking is the percussive accompaniment replicating a tap-dancer doing an old soft shoe. Immediately, Toussaint's expressive keyboarding on "Bono" and "Nashua" give props to the performance style of Professor Longhair before settling into their respectively catchy, mid-tempo rhythms. The horns have plenty of room to strut their proverbial stuff and the syncopation of the latter immediately brings Mardi Gras to mind. Perhaps the best-known tune among the lot is the jaunty "Java," which took on new life thanks to a chart-topping remake by Al Hirt. The trumpeter turned it into his unofficial theme song, ultimately making a 30-plus-year career out of it. "Wham Tousan" and "Pelican Parade" each quickly rev up to full throttle with the saxes taking on and going head-to-head with Toussaint's rollicking runs up and down the 88s. The German-label import Complete "Tousan" Sessions (1992) from Bear Family is a good way to get the 12 songs found here. It also boasts the complete and rarer Seville label material that the artist cut and issued under the moniker "Al Tousan."

The Wild Sound Of New Orleans

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