Jim Gilchrist Posted November 10, 2015 Report Share Posted November 10, 2015 Legendary songwriter and producer Allen Toussaint died Monday while on tour in Spain. He was 77. See more here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al mcguire Posted November 10, 2015 Report Share Posted November 10, 2015 (edited) From writing "Down in the Coal Mine" for Lee Dorsey to "Southern Nights" for Glen Campbell Allen Toussaint was a one of a kind musician. Here is "Night People" from the late 70's. Album was engineered by Jeff Wexler, but not our Jeff Wexler. Edited November 10, 2015 by al mcguire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramallo Posted November 10, 2015 Report Share Posted November 10, 2015 (edited) A chronic of the last concert http://cultura.elpais.com/cultura/2015/11/10/actualidad/1447145489_098152.html http://cultura.elpais.com/cultura/2015/11/10/actualidad/1447152330_243467.html Edited November 10, 2015 by ramallo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundtrane Posted November 10, 2015 Report Share Posted November 10, 2015 +111 RIP... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Rainey Posted November 10, 2015 Report Share Posted November 10, 2015 From writing "Down in the Coal Mine" for Lee Dorsey to "Southern Nights" for Glen Campbell Allen Toussaint was a one of a kind musician. Here is "Night People" from the late 70's. Album was engineered by Jeff Wexler, but not our Jeff Wexler. Actually is was "Jerry" Wexler who produced the album. He was famous for work with Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Wilson Pickett. The album Motion has some great players on it. This track "Night People" has Etta James and Bonnie Raitt on background vocals; Richard Tee on piano, Jeff Porcaro on drums; etc etc. Great stuff! Allen was a remarkable musician and wrote many hits for other musicians. Thanks for sharing guys! Dave ps: Jerry Wexler https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Wexler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClayPoole Posted November 10, 2015 Report Share Posted November 10, 2015 This one taught me how to really hear rhythm in my own playing. Try playing with that feel throughout the whole tune... AMAZING. RIP A.T. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Feeley Posted November 11, 2015 Report Share Posted November 11, 2015 An example of just one aspect of what makes him great: "I found out Glen Campbell was going to do it after it was done. I love the story of how it came about. Someone told me that Jim Webb introduced Glen Campbell to it. He said, "Man, you ought to give that Toussaint song a listen and pick the tempo up, and I think you'll have something." And he was so right. I'm so glad he did that. I love Glen's version." Rest of the article from Jan 2014: http://www.songfacts.com/blog/playingmysong/allen_toussaint_-_southern_nights_/ And if you haven't heard it in a while, give Toussaint's album Southern Nights another spin. Great, languid, stretched-out stuff. Which, surprisingly, I was listening to on Monday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al mcguire Posted November 11, 2015 Report Share Posted November 11, 2015 It all begins with a song >Actually is was "Jerry" Wexler who produced the album. < Absolutely it was Jerry, and it was Paul Wexler, not Jeff who had a mixing credit on the LP *** Goodnight Allen Toussaint I sure am happy you made these records Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old school Posted November 11, 2015 Report Share Posted November 11, 2015 One of the greats. We really lost a treasure. Somehow I like that he died doing what he loved until the end. RIP Mr Toussaint. CrewC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Gilchrist Posted November 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2015 I knew about Toussaint, the songs he'd written and acts he's produced before the first time I saw him perform live, opening one of the shows for Little Feat at the Lisner Auditorium in August of '77 that became the album Waiting for Columbus. He had a big band that included the Tower of Power horn section. He was incredible as was the band and his arrangements. I saw him a couple of other times over the years, the last time playing with a quartet at Blues Alley, a medium-sized nightclub. He was touring to raise money for performers who had lost everything to Katrina. A few songs into his set he did his famous medley of hits he'd written, with alternating verse-chorus-verse and chorus-verse-chorus of an amazing string of songs which went on for 15 minutes or so. During the show he spoke about wanting to protect the legacy of Professor Longhair and attributed the benefits he was playing on his trip to selfishly wanting to bring the music he loved back to New Orleans where it belonged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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