When Toussaint returned to the Big Easy in '65 he began another roll, in addition to the Dorsey hits, he produced Aaron Neville’s melismatic, quavery classic "Tell It Like It Is," and soul-diva Betty Harris' "Nearer to You." His new house band - known in the '50s as the Hawketts - was Art Neville on keyboards, Ziggy Modeliste on drums, George Porter on bass, and Leo Nocentelli on guitar, regrouped in '68 as the Meters. New Orleans' answer to Memphis' Booker T. and the MG's - another versatile, mixed-race funk unit - the Meters had a series of great instrumental albums in the late-'60s and early-'70s, with hits including "Sophisticated Cissy," "Cissy Strut," "Ease Back" and "Chicken Strut," that worked a Big Easy elegance into a funky backbeat, with Neville's organ and Nocentelli's guitar picking up the vague, chord-based melodies.
In the '70s Toussaint produced several excellent albums under his own name, as well as Meters-backed greats for Dr. John (In the Right Place, with "Right Place Wrong Time"), Labelle (Nightbirds - with "Lady Marmalade"), and the Meters/Nevilles combine, The Wild Tchoupitoulas, whose lone album is a celebratory Mardi Gras classic.
Toussaint formed NYNO Records in the mid-'90s to give New Orleans music a national outlet. In his founding open letter, Toussaint displays a keen sense for what makes New Orleans music special. "In New Orleans, the music isn't just in the clubs or on the dance floor, it's in everything. You can feel it in the street, see it in the buildings and taste it in the food. The syncopation and the strut of the second line brass bands; the frenzied intensity of the Mardi Gras Indian chants; and the driving rhythms of blues, jazz and R&B are as essential to this city as eating and sleeping."
Allen Toussaint has been as essential to the music of New Orleans, as the music has been to the city.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Natalie Davis
Oh man, I can hear the Frogman croaking over Toussaint's piano, "I don't know why I love you / But I doo-ooo..."
And Irma Thomas... I heard her sing at Tipitino's years back. What a wonder, what a privilege. That woman was smoking; I hope I get to be so privileged again.
I pray that the creator delivers Thomas, Toussaint, Fats Domino, Ernie K-Doe's widow, and all the others, musicians or not, safe and sound after this nightmare.
2 - Eric Olsen
yes Nat, totally agree of course. It really made me sad putting this together - will it ever be the same?
3 - Crooked Spine
You neglected to mention the incredible horn arrangements that Toussaint did for The Band on their live album, Rock of Ages.
4 - Bob A. Booey
I wonder if Trent Reznor's OK. Didn't he move to New Orleans from Cleveland a few years back? Maybe he's on tour or flew away in his Dracula-copter to Transylvania or some other evil place ... like Los Angeles.
There ya go, folks. A laugh amidst the tragedy.
That is all.
5 - Eric Olsen
Yes, those were pretty great. I'm sure I neglected lots of things, but thanks for that reminder
6 - Bob A. Booey
Did Anne Rice's makeup get washed off?
That is all.
7 - Eric Olsen
I used to work out with a guy who dated Anne Rice in college - yes, he is older than I am
8 - Eric Olsen
he said she was really weird, by the way
9 - Bob A. Booey
You know everyone, oh captain my captain.
Did you notice perhaps that a certain minor French actress celebrity (or someone impersonating her) appears to be hitting on me through your website?
I kinda sorta think it's her.
That is all.
10 - Eric Olsen
Jeanne Moreau is hitting on you??
11 - Eric Olsen
in which digital portico is this transpiring?
12 - Bob A. Booey
I don't know who that is, but think Peter Pan hair and a movie I couldn't ever bring myself to actually watch :)
Check "Worst Song Lyrics" and tell me what you think, oh captain my captain.
Real or fake? I think real.
It's super-geeky fun.
If she e-mails you asking for my business (which of course she won't), you'll have to give me a heads-up here because no one will ever really read this topic.
That is all.
13 - Bob A. Booey
I don't even think she's that hot (although she's way hotter with longer hair in the pictures I found to find out who the hell it was since I honestly didn't know by name), but if that's her, she's a lot of fun :)
That is all.
14 - Natalie Davis
I'll just bet putting this together was sad for you, Eric. The whole thing is distressing. There is an emptiness inside me that just won't go away, no matter what diversions I try to use to distract myself.
But I have some good news: I just saved on my car insur...
No, CNN reports that Fats Domino has been found and he is OK.
"Rock 'n' roll pioneer Fats Domino was among the thousands of New Orleans residents plucked from rising floodwaters, his daughter said Thursday.
Karen Domino White, who lives in New Jersey, identified her father in a picture taken Monday night by a New Orleans Times-Picayune photographer.
The photograph shows Domino -- the singer behind the 1950s hits "Ain't That a Shame" and "Blueberry Hill" -- being helped off a boat near his home in the city's Lower 9th Ward.
His whereabouts since the rescue were not immediately known. Nor was there any information about his wife, Rosemary, friends said."
That lifted my spirits a bit. Hope it helps you.
15 - Bob A. Booey
Good news. Thanks for sharing that, human. I love Fats Domino and "Blueberry Hill." Although I do admit I always got him confused with Chubby Checker, but I'm young.
That is all.
16 - Matthew T. Sussman
Did you ever notice in certain publications that there would be a phenomenal writer stuck in the ladder while some cretin ran the show?
Totally not the case here. Olsen is by far the most talented blogger here.
17 - Bob A. Booey
Sussman, you've got something on your nose there :) But yeah, I think there's a reason this site attracts so much good writing about music (and occasionally bad, but "interesting" and "random" writing).
That is all.
18 - Matthew T. Sussman
It's nose poop. I accept that.
But with Olsen's sensible columns on the left and middle parts of the page, it really balances out the horrible writing on the far right side of the page.
That's not a political metaphor either.
And that's why I stick with just sports and humor.
19 - Bob A. Booey
Yeah, I remember when I first found the site, I think it didn't have a separate Politics section. I think I said then it needed one -- in retrospect, perhaps the right-wing political contingent isn't the best thing in the world. But it's always better to have more topics and more interests than less. The right-wing political types seem to enjoy what they do.
I think the music/culture/film focus of the site is great as well and you have better discussions of a lot of that stuff here than almost anywhere else I've seen.
That being said, can you believe Olsen voted for Bush? I think he's still proud of it too :)
We need more sports from you -- I think you, me and RJ are the only ones who seem to care about sports here.
That is all.
20 - Matthew T. Sussman
Don't forget about Tan the Man. I've also seen tennis and soccer/football on here from contributors.
But I have some football/NFL stuff I'm getting ready to unleash. Also when baseball playoffs heat up I'm on it.
21 - areaderwrites
This is a great piece on the Allen Toussaint--thank you for drawing attention to his work. He has been in my thoughts often over the past few days, along with the other musicians that have made New Orleans such a unique bright spot in our homogenized American culture. I hope they can all make it to safety like Fats Domino.
22 - Natalie Davis
A number of safe-and-sound musicians with ties to NO are doing their part: NBC, MSNBC, and CNBC will telecast a Concert for Hurricane Relief tomorrow night featuring Harry Connick Jr., Aaron Neville (his famous family had to flee to Memphis hotels; most of their homes were destroyed), Wynton Marsalis, and Tim McGraw. Meanwhile New Orleans-born comedian Ellen DeGeneres reports that her aunt lost everything she had; she and her show's production company have pledged $1.5 million for Katrina victims. No, Ellen is not a musician, but she is a really good dancer.
Ah, more good news to report: Irma Thomas has been found. She is safe at her aunt's house in Baton Rouge, according to Fox News.
23 - Dave Nalle
>>Jeanne Moreau is hitting on you??<<
At her age she can't be hitting very hard - but she remains hot.
Dave
24 - E-Unit
How about the other musical greats- Cosimo Matassa, Huey "Piano" Smith, Dave Bartholomew, Eddie Bo. Are they O.K?
25 - Natalie Davis
I can't find any info on them, sad to say. Will check again tomorrow.
The following, from Channel 2 in Baton Rouge, offers news on some others:
"While the whereabouts of many New Orleans singers and musicians remains unknown, Mark Samuels, president of Basin Street Records, reports from Memphis that Basin Street artists Kermit Ruffins, Irvin Mayfield, Ronald Markham and Theresa Andersson are safe in Baton Rouge, traditional jazz musician Michael White is in Houston, jazz-blues pianist Henry Butler is in Monroe and drummer Jason Marsalis, a member of the famous Marsalis jazz family, is in New York."