(Copyright © 1999-2024 Piero Scaruffi | Terms of use )
|
, /10 | Links: |
|
Light and syncopated pianist Allen Toussaint,
whose sound was defined by the instrumental Java (1958),
became the most influential arranger and producer (besides songwriter) of
New Orleans through hits such as
Jesse Hill's Ooh Pooh Pah Do (1960),
Ernie K-Doe's Mother In-law (1961)
CHris Kenner's I Like It Like That (1961) and Land of a Thousand Dances (1963)
Barbara George's I Know (1961),
the Showmen's It Will Stand (1961),
Irma Thomas' Ruler Of My Heart (1962),
Lee Dorsey's Ya Ya (1961) and Ride Your Pony (1965)
Herb Alpert's Whipped Cream (1963),
Aaron Neville's Tell It Like It This (1966).
After toying with funk music on Lee Dorsey's Yes We Can (1970), which Toussaint almost entirely composed and arranged, he finally released a solo album in the vein of the singer-songwriter, Toussaint (1971), that reprised several of his old compositions. Life Love And Faith (1972) and especially Southern Nights (1975) refined Toussaint's "light touch" to blues, boogie, funk and soul music. The Bright Mississippi (2009) was a jazz album. |
Allen Toussaint, pianista leggero e sincopato,
alla fine degli anni '50
chiuse la stagione del soul duro e veemente, debuttando con l'album
strumentale
The Wild Sounds of New Orleans (1958),
ed apri` quella del nuovo soffice
"New Orleans sound", popolarizzandolo attraverso gli hit dei suoi cantanti:
Ooh Poo Pah Doo (1960) di Jessie Hill,
Mother In-law (1961) di Ernie K-Doe,
I Like It Like That (1961) e
Land of a Thousand Dances (1963) di Chris Kenner,
I Know (1961) di Barbara George,
It Will Stand (1961) degli Showmen,
Whipped Cream di Herb Alpert,
Ruler of My Heart (1962) di Irma Thomas,
Ya Ya (1961) e Ride Your Pony (1965) di Lee Dorsey, il piu` dotato,
Tell It Like It This (1966) di Aaron Neville.
In molti di questi hit Toussaint suona al piano, accopagnato dal fior
fiore dei session man della citta'.
Le sue canzoni costituiscono un repertorio a cui hanno attinto decine di
complessi rock, da Fortune Teller (1962) di Benny Spellman a Southern Nights (1975),
da Brickyard Blues a
Night People (1978), i capolavori della maturita'.
Toussaint died in november 2015 at the age of 77. |
| 
| 
| 
|