Elvis at "A Tribute to Toussaint", April 30, 2013

[sweetest punch]

http://www.nola.com/music/index.ssf/201 ... t_nev.html

Elvis Costello, Dr. John, Art Neville among performers at Allen Toussaint tribute fundraiser

Elvis Costello, Dr. John, Art Neville, Irma Thomas, Jon Cleary, Cyril Neville, Deacon John, Joe Stampley and producer/musician Joe Henry are among the performers slated to appear at an April 30 benefit concert/tribute to Allen Toussaint at Harrah’s New Orleans Theatre. “A Tribute to Toussaint” benefits New Orleans Artists Against Hunger and Homelessness (NOAAHH), the nonprofit organization that Toussaint and Aaron Neville co-founded in 1985.

The show celebrates Toussaint’s 75th birthday year – he turned 75 on Jan. 14 – and his legacy as a Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame songwriter, producer and pianist.

In addition to being the night’s honoree, Toussaint is expected to join in the performances.

Toussaint has a history with each of the special guests. In the months after Hurricane Katrina, he teamed up with Costello for the collaborative album “The River in Reverse,” which Henry produced. That project led to the most extensive touring of Toussaint’s career, as he and Costello joined forces for several critically acclaimed tours.

Toussaint produced and wrote several of Thomas’ hits, including “It’s Raining” and “Ruler of My Heart,” as well as Art Neville’s “All These Things.” He also produced Dr. John’s seminal 1973 album “In the Right Place.” Fellow keyboardist Cleary’s 2012 album, “Occapella,” was an exploration of the Toussaint catalog.

Reserved seat tickets to the April 30 “Tribute to Toussaint” are $250 and $300, available at noaahh.org.

[hatman]

Now that is a show!

[johnfoyle]

Additional paragraph on the earlier quoted report -


LAE Productions and WLAE-TV plan to film the show and use it as the basis of a documentary about Toussaint, similar to the "Fats Domino: Walkin' Back to New Orleans" project.

[Man out of Time]

Anyone here attending this event, or will we have to follow it all on Twitter?

MOOT

[And No Coffee Table]

https://twitter.com/fabadie_/status/329065258419363840

Interviewing Elvis Costello for the Allen Toussaint Tribute. #nola #musicmonday pic.twitter.com/MU7NTutLb6

[And No Coffee Table]

Twitter:

Allen Toussaint jokes that Elvis Costello 'discovered' him, during tribute at Harrah's

‪@Tromboneshorty‬ onstage w/ ‪@ElvisCostello‬ at Allen Toussaint tribute at Harrahs. Doing On Your Way Down

[And No Coffee Table]

A tender moment between Elvis Costello & Dave Bartholomew at the Allen Toussaint tribute. #lifecomplete http://instagram.com/p/YwUm4ChMvc/

[And No Coffee Table]

More pics: http://photos.nola.com/4500/gallery/a_t ... index.html

[sweetest punch]

http://www.nola.com/jazzfest/index.ssf/ ... ma_th.html

Elvis Costello, Irma Thomas, Cyril Neville, Deacon John sang Allen Toussaint's praises and songs

Early in Tuesday night's (April 30) star-studded 75th birthday tribute to Allen Toussaint at the Harrah's Theater in New Orleans, the honoree was called on stage to accept a pair of long-overdue Grammy nominee medallions. "I don't accept this humbly," the soft-spoken Toussaint enthused. "I accept it boldly."

By "boldly," Toussaint apparently meant in his typically gracious, self-effacing manner. Even on a night dedicated to his remarkable legacy, he deflected praise toward others.

He made a point of singling out Dave Bartholomew, the 92-year-old producer and co-writer of Fats Domino's hits, in the audience. Elvis Costello, one of Tuesday's featured performers, "discovered me," Toussaint said, referring to "The River in Reverse," the album he recorded with Costello after Hurricane Katrina. "He introduced me to the world that was out there that I saw from afar. Thanks to Elvis, I saw it close up."

As Tuesday's "A Tribute to Toussaint" made clear, the world of popular music, in New Orleans and beyond, already was well-versed in Allen Toussaint long before Costello "discovered" him. As a producer, songwriter and pianist, he crafted scores of hits for a succession of New Orleans notables.

Between muddy New Orleans Jazz Fest weekends at the Fair Grounds, many of those notables dressed up to sing Toussaint's songs at Harrah's. The show, which was taped by Louisiana Public Broadcasting, benefited New Orleans Artists Against Hunger and Homelessness, the charitable organization Toussaint co-founded in the 1980s.

The NOAAHH organization has a long history of star-studded fundraiser concerts. Tuesday's show was not sold out, possibly due to a starting ticket price of $250 and an extraordinarily busy Jazz Fest week.

Those in attendance witnessed a crisply paced, 2 1/2-hour showcase of the best of classic New Orleans music.

Want to stage a first-rate, TV-worthy concert? Start with a crackerjack house band such as the one deployed Tuesday. After only one day of rehearsal, that band was air-tight.

It featured Toussaint's son Reggie on percussion and his son-in-law Herman LeBeaux Jr. on drums. Bassist Roland Guerin is a regular Toussaint sideman, as are guitarists Renard Poche and Anthony Brown.

A five-piece horn section boasted "Big" Sam Williams on trombone, Joe Fox and Tracey Griffin on trumpets, Amadee Castenell on tenor sax and Brian "Breeze" Cayolle on baritone. In fringed red dresses, Erica Falls, Elaine Foster and Lisa Foster - known collectively as ELS - provided deep-soul backing vocals.

Together, they backed a procession of local luminaries - introduced by emcee Eric Paulsen of WWL-TV -- whose careers were impacted by Toussaint.

Mac "Dr. John" Rebennack reprised his "Right Place, Wrong Time," from the 1973 Toussaint-produced album "In the Right Place." Joe Henry, the singer-songwriter who produced "The River in Reverse" and Toussaint's 2009 Grammy-nominated album "The Bright Mississippi," sang Toussaint's "From a Whisper to a Scream."

In an early highlight that brought the cocktail-attired audience to its collective feet, pianist Jon Cleary - whose excellent 2012 album "Occapella" consisted entirely of Toussaint compositions -- thundered through "Brickyard Blues." He settled down for "Wrong Number (I'm Sorry, Goodbye)."

The nattily attired Deacon John Moore sparked an uptempo "Taint It the Truth," the Ernie K-Doe hit written and produced by Toussaint (a young Moore played guitar on the original recording). Establishing a theme for the night, Toussaint joined in on piano.

He remained there as Irma Thomas, a-glitter in a purple gown and sparkling necklace, navigated "Ruler of My Heart" and "It's Raining" - again, both originally written and produced by Toussaint. During "It's Raining," as Toussaint finished a brief piano solo, he made eye contact with Thomas; she smiled and resumed singing.

Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, who will close out the Acura Stage for the first time on Sunday's final day of Jazz Fest, stepped up to uncork "Java" - a Toussaint-composed smash for the late Al Hirt - on trumpet, as Larry Sieberth took a turn on piano. Andrews switched to trombone as Costello joined him for "On Your Way Down."

Cyril Neville stepped up for "Old Treme," which he co-wrote with Toussaint. Demonstrating why Aaron Neville considers him the best singer in the Neville family, Cyril then poured his slight frame into a brooding reimagining of "Fortune Teller," shouting like a soul singer in full torment.

In 1966, Joe Stampley fronted Shreveport rock band the Uniques on a hit cover of Toussaint's "All These Things." A decade later, Stampley, by then a prolific solo country artist, scored a No. 1 hit with a "two-step" version of "All These Things." On Tuesday, he offered both versions, with Costello singing harmony and Toussaint on piano.

By then, Toussaint - whose actual 75th birthday was Jan. 14 - had changed from a dark suit to a green one that, whether by serendipity or design, matched Costello's socks.

Costello called his association with Toussaint, whom he first met 30 years ago, a highlight of his own illustrious career. "I don't deserve the praise that he gave me," Costello said of Toussaint. "But thank you so much for applauding so loudly."

He dug into the ballad "The Greatest Love," a Toussaint-crafted hit for Lee Dorsey that resurfaced on "The River in Reserve." It was dressed up by piano flourishes courtesy of the evening's honoree and an uncharacteristically restrained solo by Meters guitarist Leo Nocentelli, who had temporarily replaced Brown.

Toussaint, working hard at his own tribute, finished out the night with a trio of favorites: "What Is Success?" - marked by a fine Poche guitar solo - "Everything I Do Gohn Be Funky (From Now On)" and a final, high-stepping "Southern Nights."

Earlier, Costello introduced "Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further" by revealing Toussaint's initial hesitation to perform it.

"Allen said, 'There's too much of me in this song.' There is no such thing as too much Allen Toussaint."

"A Tribute to Toussaint" made that clear.

[Man out of Time]

Toussaint.jpg (18.76 KiB) Viewed 27838 times

Photo by MATTHEW HINTON-- Allen Toussaint, left, blows out candles on a 75th anniversary piano cake while Elvis Costello, pink hat and others celebrate with him at Harrah's Hotel at party that is part of a "Tribute to Toussaint" honoring the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer's career and 75th year in New Orleans, Tuesday, April 30, 2013.

MOOT

[Man out of Time]

Tuesday’s Tribute to Allen Toussaint = Boffo

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.)

Allen 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.

http://www.culturemaven.com/blog/2013/0 ... int-boffo/

MOOT

[And No Coffee Table]

Congratulations to Allen Toussaint, who received the National Medal of Arts today at the White House.



http://twitter.com/AllenToussaint/statu ... 48/photo/1

[sweetest punch]

Allen Toussaint has also a new album for release in september: http://www.amazon.com/Songbook-Allen-To ... pd_sim_m_2



Allen Toussaint is among the great songwriters and producers of our time. His songs have been covered by Elvis Costello, Glen Campbell, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Band, Paul McCartney, Aaron Neville, Dr. John, Jerry Garcia, Phish, Alison Krauss & Robert Plant and hundreds of others. His productions in the 1960s and 1970s--which include hits such as Lee Dorsey's Workin' in a Coal Mine, LaBelle's Lady Marmalade and Irma Thomas's It's Raining--defined the New Orleans R&B sound of the era. He is also one of the great New Orleans piano players, keeper of a legacy that embraces Jelly Roll Morton, Professor Longhair and James Booker.

Songbook presents Allen Toussaint in a solo setting, and it is a joy to hear the nuance that he brings to his own songs. Toussaint standards such as It's Raining, Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further?, Holy Cow, Southern Nights and Freedom for the Stallion are joined by several new songs. In each of these performances, you can hear the smile in Allen Toussaint's voice, and his piano playing, if always heard as a key element on the records he produced, is a revelation in its orchestral conception and virtuosity.
---------------------
From his website: http://allentoussaint.com/index.php?opt ... 1&Itemid=2

JULY 2013: Allen Toussaint's New Live Solo Album/DVD, Songbook, Out August 20, 2013

Allen Toussaint will release, Songbook, a live solo album and DVD on September 24, 2013 via Rounder Records. The album and accompanying DVD include a total of twenty-five songs recorded live over two Fall 2009 performances at Joe's Pub in New York City. The DVD also includes a twenty-five minute in-depth interview with Allen conducted by producer and longtime friend, Paul Siegel. The new album embodies a meaningful concert setting for Allen, as the celebrated venue became his home base for performing after being displaced from New Orleans due to Hurricane Katrina. Songbook follows Allen's 2010 Grammy-nominated album The Bright Mississippi.

New Orleans Music Legend Allen Toussaint Reveals Songbook; Solo Set On CD And DVD To Be Released On Rounder September 24, 2013 DVD Includes In-Studio Interview

On September 24, 2013, Rounderwill release Allen Toussaint's Songbook, featuring performances of twenty five of Toussaint's songs captured on CD and DVD. The album and accompanying DVD were recorded over two nights in the fall of 2009 at venerable New York City nightspot Joe's Pub. The DVD includes an in-depth interview with Toussaint, conducted by producer (and longtime friend)Paul Siegel.

The Rounder release will offer a deluxe version which will include a CD with 25 songs and a 90-minute DVD that features the second of two live performance filmed at Joe's Pub in September 2009, plus a 25-minute studio interview; and a standard CD that offers 12 of Toussaint's classic compositions interpreted by the legendary songsmith himself.

The list of those who have benefited in one way or another from Allen Toussaint's touch is staggering in its historic and stylistic range, stretching from the late 1950s to the present day, with no end in sight. His studio productions have sold millions of discs and downloads. His catalog of songs has generated hits on the pop, R&B, country and dance charts, and many remain on heavy rotation in various radio formats. His tunes continue to pop up as TV themes and advertising jingles. He has an ever-growing international circle of fans, and though previously reluctant to tour, in recent years he's become a more familiar figure at music festivals and popular nightclubs around the world.

Though Toussaint has begun to travel far and wide as of late, he never stays away from New Orleans for long - and his music never does. In so many ways, his enduring career -- as this collection so vividly illustrates -- serves as an ongoing tribute to the city of his birth.

In the last fifteen years, Toussaint has experienced a growing resurgence of activity and recognition. Since '96, he's recorded seven albums and collaborated with the likes of Elvis Costello and Eric Clapton. He's been Grammy® nominated and inducted into a number of Halls of Fame. He's been sampled by such hip-hop heavyweights as O.D.B., Biz Markie, KRS One and OutKast, and appeared nationally on TV and radio - often on the urging of such longtime fans as Paul Shaffer and Harry Shearer, and most recently on the HBO series Treme.

With a honed sense of dry humor, Toussaint calls 2005's Hurricane Katrina his booking agent, crediting the storm for rebooting his career as a performer after flooding him out of home and studio. In order to recover - financially, musically, spiritually - Toussaint relocated to New York City and began to perform solo concerts, using Joe's Pub on Lafayette Street as a home base. Buoyed by a groundswell of support, he worked at something that years of success in the studio had allowed him to avoid: getting truly comfortable on the stage by himself, laying claim to his own songs.

Modesty had a lot to do with it; Allen Toussaint still is not the first person one would go to for information on Allen Toussaint. "I'm not accustomed to talking about myself," he once explained during a gig, "I talk in the studio with musicians. Or through my songs."

But over time, Toussaint developed his act - resurrecting material he hadn't touched in years, taking chances and improvising on established melodies, weaving personal anecdotes into his stage patter. He laced his music with memories of street characters and soul sisters, funky clubs and big-time successes. His show became his story, and his story came together and began to flow - which brings us to the musical treasure before you.

The what, when and how of this collection is comprehensively explained by its creator Paul Siegel - a veteran video producer, and lifelong enthusiast of Toussaint's work. As this DVD is an important historical document and an overdue personal testament from a musical genius to his fans, it also stands as a tribute to Siegel's passion for a man who - like too many of New Orleans's heroes - often evades the national radar.

Nearly eight years after Katrina, New Orleans continues to recover, and Toussaint has returned permanently to the city he never truly left. Give him the heat and the humidity, the spice and the rice, the funky sound of a Second Line and the cool feel of a southern night. "I apologize," Toussaint sings, "to anyone who can truly say that he has a found a better way."

*Abridged, from notes by Ashley Kahn, May 2013

TRACK LISTING

CD
1. It's Raining
2. Lipstick Traces
3. Brickyard Blues
4. With You In Mind
5. Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further?
6. Sweet Touch of Love
7. Holy Cow
8. Get Out My Life, Woman
9. Freedom for the Stallion
10. St. James Infirmary
11. Shrimp Po Boy (Dressed)
12. Soul Sister
13. All These Things
14. We Are America/Yes We Can
15. Optimism Blues
16. Old Records Certain Girl Medley: Certain Girl/Mother-in-Law/Fortune Teller/Working in a Coal Mine
17. New Orleans Thing
18. Crawfish, Everyday
19. No Place Like New York
20. Southern Nights

DVD
1. It's Raining
2. Lipstick Traces
3. Brickyard Blues
4. With You In Mind
5. Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further?
6. Sweet Touch Of Love
7. Holy Cow
8. Get Out My Life, Woman
9. St. James Infirmary
10. Shrimp Po Boy (Dressed)
11. Soul Sister
12. All These Things
13. We Are America/Yes We Can
14. Old Records
15. Lover Of Love
16. Certain Girl Medley: Certain Girl/ Mother-in-Law/ Fortune Teller/ Working In A Coal Mine
17. New Orleans Thing
18. Crawfish, Everyday
19. No Place Like New York
20. Southern Nights
21. Freedom For The Stallion

[Man out of Time]

http://tributetotoussaint.com/the-project/

"The Project

A man revered in the music world as one of the most influential artists to ever take the stage, Allen Toussaint’s contributions to both the industry and the community have been a hallmark in a life overflowing with creativity, influence, and service. Allen Toussaint is one of music’s most prolific songwriters and producers. During his career, he has written for, produced and collaborated with Ernie K-Doe, Irma Thomas, Glen Campbell, The Meters, Dr. John, B.J. Thomas, Boz Scaggs, Paul McCartney, Patti LaBelle, The Pointer Sisters, Fats Domino, Elvis Costello, Art Neville, Aaron Neville, and The Rolling Stones, just to name a few. His two biggest hits, “Lady Marmalade” recorded by LaBelle and “Southern Nights” recorded by Glen Campbell, were each number one on the Billboard charts.
To show their deep appreciation for his influential musical direction and charitable acts, New Orleans Artists Against Hunger & Homelessness (NOAAHH) honored Allen for his 75th birthday with a concert event at Harrah’s Theatre called A Tribute to Toussaint.

WLAE-TV and LAE Productions were on hand for this momentous occasion to record the event and to produce a documentary joining together this once-in-a-lifetime concert with chronicles of Allen’s many life accomplishments both in the studio and on the streets. Serving as Executive Producers of the special will be Jim Dotson and Ron Yager who have together produced numerous award-winning documentary programs for PBS including: Fats Domino: Walkin’ Back to New Orleans; Glory Days: The Catholic League of New Orleans; and Go Coast: Louisiana. A world-renowned musician and philanthropist, Toussaint is a founding member of the New Orleans Artists Against Hunger & Homelessness. Toussaint is a Grammy Trustee Award recipient who has produced countless hits, while helping raise over $1 million for the hungry and homeless in New Orleans."

No detail on when the documentary may be finished or premiered, but I imagine details will be posted on this site when available. The filmmakers seem to be still trying to raise funding for the project, which may suggest there is work still to do.

MOOT

[jmm]

Allen is playing at Joe's Pub in NYC tomorrow. First show there in quite awhile

Wonder if EC is in the area???

[Man out of Time]

This from the sound engineers who recorded the show for posterity and future broadcast:

http://www.presonus.com/community/blog/ ... capture-2/

"PreSonus StudioLive records Allen Toussaint’s 75th Birthday Tribute & Benefit
June 4,2013

[This just in from Lu Rojas of Oak Street Recording, who along with Mike Montero recently had a great experience with a rig of four StudioLives and Studio One!]

Hey PreSonus! I just wanted to let you guys know about a recent experience we had with some of your products. On Tuesday April 30 at Harrah’s Theater in New Orleans, we recorded Allen Toussaint’s 75th Birthday Tribute & Benefit. All proceeds were donated to the New Orleans Artists Against Homelessness & Hunger.

We had four StudioLive 16.4.2 mixers. We slaved the first two units together, and then sent a submix from those mixers into the next two mixers, which were also slaved together. The first pair were connected to a custom-built PC running Capture 2, and the second pair were connected to a Macbook Pro, also running using Capture 2. From there, a stereo mix was sent to a CD burner, for reference, and to the HD broadcast truck for WLAE/PBS. The broadcast truck in turn sent us SMPTE time code, which we recorded to both computers for syncing after the fact. They also sent us a video feed so we could mix audio to the video. I handled mixing on the first pair of mixers (drums, bass, piano, main vocal & percussion) and Mike Montero handled the mix on the second pair of mixers—horns, guitars, vocals & audience mics. Mike also handled the mix of the overall balance between both sets of StudioLive mixers, as my mix was being submixed into his mix!

Neither Mike or I had worked with the StudioLives in such a situation before, and we had concerns about figuring out our workflow before showtime. Everything was so simple to figure out, that we ended up having downtime before the show! Imagine that… time to eat and have some coffee and not stressing over whether we had our asses covered! Another thing that impressed us was how well the compressors worked on the mixer. I always worry in a live atmosphere when a microphone is being handed around from artist to artist, and not being able to catch the one that is going to overload the microphone. Fortunately, the compressor section worked like a charm even when switching from artist to artist on the main vocal mic. We had Allen Toussaint, Irma Thomas, Elvis Costello, Deacon John, Jon Cleary, Cyril Neville, Dr. John, Joe Stampley and Joe Henry. The important thing was that we got the main vocal to always sit right on top of the mix without it sounding squashed or distorted.

As of now I have installed Studio One on Mike Montero’s computer, and he will be mixing the audio from here out. Thanks guys!"

There is an accompanying photo (from which this is a detail) of EC in a fetching pink hat:

EC and unknown at A Tribute To Toussaint

TTT.jpg (29.37 KiB) Viewed 27029 times

MOOT

[Man out of Time]

No details still on the WLAE website on when the documentary film will be broadcast. However there was a premiere screening on 30 April (a year after the original concert) followed by a discussion in which Allen Toussaint was involved.:

http://m.bestofneworleans.com/gambit/sy ... id=2422274

Watch this space for details of future broadcast or DVD release.

MOOT

[Man out of Time]

Promotional video for the documentary now available to view here:

http://vimeo.com/80475496

Includes EC being interviewed and performing. Documentary is "Coming in 2014"

MOOT

[hatman]

There is no better than AT! Side Note: CN is not looking good physically. I noticed this the last a time a saw him (about 5 years ago).

Also a lot of hats! What is interesting, is the hat that EC is wearing in the interview, is very high quality (it's a Milan straw, looks to be a custom -> maybe by Optimo Chicago). He rarely wears such quality hats on stage.

[sweetest punch]

http://www.nola.com/tv/index.ssf/2014/1 ... lebra.html

'A Tribute to Toussaint,' celebrating a 'legend in our midst,' debuts Saturday (Dec. 6) on WLAE

A Tribute to Toussaint," debuting at 7 p.m. Saturday (Dec. 6) on WLAE, captures an April evening in 2013 for which fans and collaborators gathered to mark Allen Toussaint's 75th birthday year. Among the performers at the Harrah's New Orleans Theater concert were Irma Thomas, Elvis Costello, Jon Cleary, Art Neville, Dr. John, Deacon John Moore and Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews. Toussaint performed during the show as well, after arranging the music and overseeing rehearsals.

For the documentary, interview sequences with the performers were filmed around the concert, a benefit for New Orleans Artists Against Hunger & Homelessness (NOAAHH), a charity Toussaint co-founded with Aaron Neville in 1985.

Ron Yager and Jim Dotson are executive producers of the documentary, which after its New Orleans premiere will be made available to other public-broadcasting stations as pledge programming. About 200 outlets around the country have already signed up to carry the special, Yager said, a tribute to the concert's talent lineup and Toussaint's Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame career.

"What a treasure he is," Yager said. "And the career he's had, promoting New Orleans music around the world without really hoping to get any credit for it. He loves being from the city, and the music's in his blood.

"It's obvious that a lot of people not from here gravitate to it."

One of whom was Robert Plant, former Led Zeppelin vocalist and recent Jazz Fest favorite. Plant didn't perform at the concert, but Yager and Dotson were eager to get him to sit for their cameras. (Jimmy Buffett and Cyndi Lauper also were interviewed for the documentary portion of the film.)

"I'm a huge Led Zeppelin fan," Dotson said. "It was interesting to me how much of a New Orleans music historian he is. You sit down with him, and the music history of New Orleans just flows out. I was just awestruck.

"He had the perspective of being in England and watching all this take place, and he knew it intimately. It was incredible.

Added Yager: "We sort of take it for granted because we live here. Robert Plant was very passionate about how the history of New Orleans music defined his style as he was getting going."

The concert's favorite musical sequence for both producers, earlier collaborators on the WLAE special "Fats Domino: Walkin' Back to New Orleans," was a Trombone Shorty-Elvis Costello duet on "On Your Way Down."

"I think that was a powerful song, and the interpretation they both took with it was great," Yager said. "It was really cool to have both younger and older artists performing together, making a killer track."

The combination of old and new also surfaces in Shorty's performance, on trumpet, of Al Hirt's big 1964 hit with the Toussaint composition "Java." It may be the least funky thing Andrews has ever played, but its inclusion speaks to the breadth of Toussaint's talent.

"We really have an amazing music legend in our midst," Dotson said. "After Katrina, there really was this whole re-emergence of his career, which I think is just a phenomenal part of the documentary. He talks about how Katrina was not a drowning but a baptism. That's a genuine feeling for him.

"It's an amazing thing to see him playing with Trombone Shorty and Elvis Costello and a great mix of people."

Were you at the tribute concert on April 30, 2013? If so, tell us what you thought of the concert.

http://vimeo.com/80475496

[sweetest punch]

Has anyone seen the documentary?

[docinwestchester]

The doc seems to be playing only on local NOLA public TV. Next showing this Tuesday:

http://theadvocate.com/entertainment/re ... -and-music

[Man out of Time]

Did this recording of the April 2013 Concert: "A Tribute to Toussaint" ever receive a wider release?

It has been nominated for an Emmy Award this year, in the category for "Special Event Coverage (Other than news or sports)". The 2015 Emmy Awards ceremony is on 5 December

I am no expert on how TV shows are licenced or distributed these days, but this page suggests that other TV stations have been able to purchase rights to show the concert.

https://www.aptonline.org/catalog.nsf/v ... OUSSAINT+A

Perhaps now is the time for the recording to have a wider audience, sadly.

MOOT

[blureu]

The local station in New Orleans (WLAE) is re-airing the special. Hopefully someone is able to record & share.

The independent New Orleans television station will re-air "A Tribute to Allen Toussaint," the 2013 concert special celebrating the New Orleans piano legend's 75th birthday -- as well as his contributions to the musical world -- at 10 p.m. Thursday (Nov. 12), 8 p.m. Saturday (Nov. 14) and 9 p.m. Sunday (Nov. 15).

WLAE can be seen in the New Orleans area on Cox Ch. 1014 and 714; Charter Ch. 11 and 711; AT&T Ch. 1032 and 32; and on Dish, DirecTV and over the air on Ch. 32

http://www.nola.com/movies/index.ssf/20 ... e-air.html

[And No Coffee Table]

"A Tribute To Toussaint" will air on two Los Angeles-area public TV stations (KCET and KVCR) on December 4, 5, and 6. I imagine it will be on in other cities around then too.