Elvis/Allen play Ann Arbour, Michigan, June 13

johnfoyle · Post by **johnfoyle** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 9:28 am

http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/aane ... xml&coll=2

The Ann Arbor News , Sunday, March 19, 2006

( extract)

Here's something to chase the late-winter chills away: The Ann Arbor Summer Festival today unveils the schedule of performers for its 23rd season, running June 16-July 9.

Headlining the event will be a show by influential U.K. rocker Elvis Costello and the Imposters, performing with New Orleans pianist Allen Toussaint at Hill Auditorium June 13 in what's billed as a "pre-festival engagement.''

Costello's upcoming CD, "River In Reverse,'' recorded with Toussaint and scheduled for a May release, is believed to be the first major recording to emerge from a New Orleans studio since Hurricane Katrina.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.annarborsummerfestival.org/

http://aasf.phirebranding.com/main2006_ ... ello.shtml#

With the New Orleans piano and horns
of Allen Toussaint

Tuesday, June 13, 8:00 p.m.
Pre-Festival Engagement
Hill Auditorium
University of Michigan

Tickets - on sale today ( March 19th) -

http://purchase.tickets.com/buy/TicketP ... id=5729329

$64, $56, $44, $36, $24
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Hill Auditorium is undergoing a renovation programme , including this important change -

http://www.umich.edu/~urel/hill/facts.html

( extract)

Auditorium Capacity: As a result of barrier-free seating arrangements and other alterations to increase audience comfort, the total number of seats in the house will be reduced from 4,169 to 3,710. The number of toilets will be increased from 24 to 53, which reflects an increase for men from 14 to 22, and for women from 10 to 30, plus one unisex (7 more toilets for each sex than required by Michigan code).

johnfoyle · Post by **johnfoyle** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 2:18 pm

http://www.annarborsummerfestival.org/m ... ello.shtml

'Exclusive sponsor'

http://www.pfizer.com/pfizer/main.jsp

...........yes, the makers of -

http://www.viagra.com/

johnfoyle · Post by **johnfoyle** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 7:25 am

From listserv -

Here's a new ad for Pfizer's most famous product:

Tired of trying to pump it up inch by inch, only to let him dangle?
Used to be a little savage, but now all the girls talk about your
lack of indoor fireworks?
Is your hidden shame that you've turned into a man with a problem?
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thing that's withered and died?
Remember when you were the greatest thing,
dancing the mystery dance like a little savage?
Well don't think that day is done and settle for seconds of pleasure!
Don't wave a white flag the next time round if there's no action!
And don't just pay lip service to the problem -
this is your big opportunity to use your mouth almighty
and talk to your doctor about Viagra.
See if Viagra is right for you, and soon
you'll be feeling those old sneaky feelings again like
back on that long honeymoon, and she'll be talking in the dark
about your renewed spark of love!

BillN, with a disclaimer about side effects...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I should , of course , had the wit to title this item ' Live Stiffs Return' , or something.....

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 9:17 am

If it ain't stiff...

johnfoyle · Post by **johnfoyle** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 3:15 pm

http://media.www.michigandaily.com/medi ... lisher.com

Michigan Daily

The angry young man isn't so young any more â€¦ but he's still angry. (Courtesy of Elvis Costello)

Southern legends come to Hill
Lloyd Cargo

Posted: 6/12/06

Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, but it couldn't drown soul. On Tuesday night at Hill Auditorium, Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint, two legends from disparate musical backgrounds, will unite to celebrate life and music in the wake of a tragedy.

Their recent collaboration, The River in Reverse, was concocted after a series of Katrina benefit concerts where the New Orleans R&B legend and the angry young man from Liverpool performed together. Originally intended to be sort of a songbook collection, with Costello singing selections from Toussaint's considerable catalogue, the sessions soon morphed into something entirely different when the pair realized their chemistry as co-writers.

The songs the two wrote and recorded together with the help of the Crescent City Horns and Costello's backing band the Imposters (both bands will join them on stage) are a soulful blend of R&B, blues and funk that is undeniably an homage to New Orleans and its heritage. The record is a celebration throughout, but with the strong undertone of protest and anger directed at the leadership of America. The condemnations are subtle but damning. On "Ascension Day," Costello sings, "Thought I heard somebody pleading / I thought I heard someone apologize / Some fell down weeping / Others shook their fists up at the skies / And those who were left / seemed to be wearing disguises."

It's no surprise considering the histories of the parties involved that both the music and the lyrics are heady, but never pretentious. Elvis Costello, still going strong after nearly 20 years of constant musical evolution, has to be considered one of the most influential and innovative songwriters since Bob Dylan, and he's certainly no stranger to controversy. Originally somewhat of a pub-rocker, Costello has gone from punk with chucks to conductor with a cowboy hat, recently dabbling in classical music and country, without losing any of that trademark sneer. Known for his prolificness, Costello still can't claim to have had a hand in a fraction of as much great music as Allen Toussaint.

Toussaint, as a songwriter, session musician, arranger, producer and solo artist, helped craft the New Orleans R&B sound - a sound that's earthy, laid back, warm and exuberant. His songs have been covered by countless artists, and his influence has reached countless more. He launched the careers of Lee Dorsey and Irma Thomas with hits like "Get Out of my Life Woman," "Ride Your Pony" and "Everything I do From Now on Gonh Be Funky." His house band in the '60s went on to become the Meters (whose albums he produced). He did arrangements for The Band, Paul Simon and Little Feat, and his own work has been critically acclaimed over the years. Basically, his resumÃ© is a music lover's wet dream.

So on Tuesday night, expect classics from both legends' catalogues, but also be prepared for "Broken Promise Land," "The River in Reverse" and other new tunes displaying Costello's acerbic lyrics and Toussaint's soulful grooves. Tuesday night's show will be a party for sure, but it's important to remember why these artists were brought together in the first place, as well as the wonderful place they are paying tribute to every time they play their music.

Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint
Tuesday at 8 p.m.
Sold Out
At Hill Auditorium

johnfoyle · Post by **johnfoyle** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 6:14 pm

Neat preview article -

http://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/ ... thispage=2

Katrina's winds blow music legends together

Benefit shows bred Costello's latest collaboration

Saturday, June 10, 2006
BY KEVIN RANSOM
News Special Writer

If he doesn't slow down, Elvis Costello just may run out of new musical styles to explore.

Let's review: In the '70s, he helped ignite the New Wave movement with the twitchy, exhilarating rave-ups that put him on the rock 'n' roll map. In the '80s, "Get Happy'' was an amphetamined homage to soul music, and "Almost Blue'' drew on the country music canon. More recent years have seen more subtle shadings, from the semi-classical "The Juliet Letters'' to the lush orchestrations and swoony crescendos he crafted with suave-pop icon Burt Bacharach. He's also dabbled in jazz with various collaborators.

And now - his latest collaboration, with the legendary New Orleans composer, arranger and producer Allen Toussaint - finds him cooking up a heady brew of funky Crescent City soul and R&B, which of course is Toussaint's specialty.

In fact, their new duet album, "The River in Reverse,'' functions in part as a Toussaint songbook, featuring seven songs from Toussaint's deep catalog - which reaches back to the 1950s - along with five new songs co-written by the pair and one new Costello song, the biting title track, which addresses the devastation suffered by Toussaint's home city last summer in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

The album collaboration led to a tour, which comes to Hill Auditorium on Tuesday as a prelude to the Ann Arbor Summer Festival.

"This just felt like the right record to make at this time,'' said Costello during a conference-call interview with him and Toussaint. The two were thrown together last fall at a pair of Katrina benefit concerts in New York City, and "that's when it hit me that the notion of 'the songbook' should be revived, and that Allen deserved one of his own.''

Toussaint joked that he had to be coaxed out of semi-retirement to do the project, "but I thought it was a wonderful and respectful idea,'' added the courtly Toussaint, whose writing credits over the years include such Southern-soul classics as "Southern Nights,'' "Working in a Coal Mine,'' "Yes We Can Can,'' "Mother in Law'' and "Fortune Teller.''

He also produced and/or played piano on some of the biggest New Orleans recordings of the '60s and '70s, by the likes of Lee Dorsey, Irma Thomas, Dr. John, Ernie K-Doe and the Wild Tchoupitoulas. And when The Band needed horn charts written for their "Rock of Ages'' and "The Last Waltz'' performances, it was Toussaint they turned to.

Costello's choices of Toussaint songs were less obvious than those listed above.

"I never would have thought he would dig up old songs of mine like 'Tears, Tears and More TearsÃ or 'Wonder Woman,''' said Toussaint. "He would pull out these old songs of mine, and once I got over how he could possibly know my work so well, I was so elated that I just went along with his suggestions.''

Some of the newer songs address the anger that still simmers in New Orleans over the federal government's slow response and the Bush administration's reported decision to previously cut funds for the levee repairs. But even some of Toussaint's old songs deliver knockout lines that are still relevant to today's social injustices - like the scolding "Whose Gonna Help a Brother Get Further,'' in which Toussaint playfully croons "What happened to the Liberty Bell / That I heard so much about? / Did it really ding-dong? / It must have dinged wrong / It didn't ding long.''

"I've seen people really light up when Allen sings that line at some of the shows,'' Costello said.

Another great track is "Ascension Day,'' in which Costello takes "Tipitina'' - which has been rendered by every New Orleans piano master from Professor Longhair to Huey "Piano'' Smith to Dr. John - and lays in a new set of lyrics.

What also makes this project a true synergy of two musical worlds is that the band is a hybrid of Toussaint's players and Costello's band, the Imposters. Toussaint recruited some of the best horn players on the New Orleans scene, and their punchy horns intersect perfectly with longtime Elvis-mates Steve Nieve on Hammond B3 and Pete Thomas on drums - two of the guys who revved up Costello's sound as the Attractions back in the '70s.

Costello reports that he and Toussaint also have a few surprises cooked up.

"We're not just (going) to just play these 12 songs from the album and leave the stage,'' he said. "We're also going to be giving funky New Orleans treatment to some of my old songs.''

Hmm. All of a sudden we're hearing how "Pump It Up'' or "Radio Radio " would benefit from trombone and tuba. "Well, you never know,'' replied Costello with a laugh. "You'll just have to come to the show to find out.''

Writer and critic Kevin Ransom can be reached at KevinRansom@hotmail.com

johnfoyle · Post by **johnfoyle** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 2:39 pm

From listserv -

Here is the set list for the show by Elvis Costello & The Imposters w/
Allen Toussaint and the Crescent City Horns and Anthony Brown:

01 (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding
02 Monkey To Man
03 On Your Way Down
04 A Certain Girl
05 Clown Strike
06 Tears, Tears, and More Tears
07 Poisoned Rose
08 Tears Before Bedtime
09 Broken Promise Land
10 Freedom For The Stallion
11 The River In Reverse
12 Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further?
13 Nearer To You
14 Deep Dark Truthful Mirror
15 Play Something Sweet
16 Bedlam
17 Dust
18 Watching The Detectives
19 I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down
20 High Fidelity
21 Pump It up

First encore:

22 Professor Longhair medley
23 Ascension Day
24 What Do You Want The Girl To Do
25 Wonder Woman
26 International Echo
27 Alison/Tracks Of My Tears
28 Clubland
29 All These Things
30 Six-Fingered Man

Second encore:

31 That's How You Got Killed Before
32 Yes We Can Can
33 The Greatest Love
34 Working In A Coal Mine
35 Fortune Teller
36 The Sharpest Thorn

The show began at 8:06 pm. The musicians left the stage after the
last encore at 11:04 pm.

An amazing show, probably the best EC show I ever saw, better than his
electrifying set in Atlanta's Tabernacle last spring. Highlights:
"Detectives," "Dust," "Clubland," plus the ballads were just simply
gorgeous. And come on, 36 songs? How can you beat that?

Apparently he did this as early as the Brutal Youth tour, but I'd
never heard him do it before:
Steve played the melody of "Singin' In The Rain" from time to time
during PL&U. Hilarious, and it actually fit the song quite well.

Do NOT miss this tour. I just hope that they still have some energy
left by the time they make it Cuyahoga Falls next month!

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http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/aane ... xml&coll=2

Elvis goes to New Orleans, and Hill Auditorium loves it
Costello, Toussaint team up for terrific, diverse Summer Festival show
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
BY WILL STEWART
News Special Writer

It took exactly two songs Tuesday for the strains of New Orleans music to seep into Elvis Costello's appearance at Hill Auditorium.

By the end of Costello's nearly three-hour show with the Big Easy musical legend, Allen Toussaint, and his Crescent City Horns, Costello and his own band, the Imposters, appeared happy just to be sharing the stage - and the music - with their soulful counterparts.

"Allen has written about 450,000 songs,'' the ever-prolific Costello said early on during Tuesday's perfectly paced and splendidly diverse concert, a warm-up to the 23rd season of the Ann Arbor Summer Festival, which formally gets under way on Friday.

"But I'm catching up to him.''

The pair proceeded to trade songs - mostly Costello's, several of Toussaint's and a handful that the pair wrote together for their just-released CD, "The River in Reverse,'' which was the first album recorded in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.

Of these, the pair's "Ascension Day'' inverted Professor Longhair's New Orleans anthem "Tipitina'' into a somber, minor-key indictment of what Costello called federal and state governments' "incompetent'' reaction to the destruction Katrina left in its wake.

Toussaint took the spotlight for tender readings of his own "On Your Way Down'' and "Brickyard Blues,'' as well as a playful romp through "Freedom for the Stallion,'' before leaving the stage for the Imposters and the Crescent City Horns to swing through Costello's back catalog.

The four-piece Crescent City Horns - Joe Fox on trumpet, Brian Cayolle on baritone saxophone, Big Sam Williams on trombone and tenor saxophonist Amadee Castenell - breathed swinging, new life into Costello staples like "Pump it Up'' and "High Fidelity'' as well as surprise album cuts, including "Clubland'' and "Tears Before Bedtime.'' Meanwhile, the two groups worked together to transform the classics "Watching the Detectives'' and "Alison'' into almost free-jazz frenzies.

"Watching the Detectives,'' in particular, benefited from such reinvention, enjoying the trombone-fueled ska drive it's always hinted at, while Imposters keyboardist Steve Nieve's Hammond organ swirled over the top of the horns' dissonant harmonies, every note of which, Costello pointed out, was charted by Toussaint.

Nieve and drummer Pete Thomas - both of whose tenures with Costello date back to his benchmark backing band, the Attractions - seemed a little out of their power-pop element at first, but settled into a comfortable groove as the evening wore on. Nieve in particular, rarely one for understated accompaniment, seemed to enjoy his role adding musical counterpoint while the horn section carried the day.

By the time Toussaint returned for two extended encores, Costello was mostly taking a back seat as the band rolled through a laundry list of Toussaint-penned standards, highlighted by a sing-along "Working in a Coal Mine'' and a fierce, driving "Fortune Teller.'' There isn't anyone who has a greater appreciation of the American songbook than Costello, and the Rock And Roll Hall of Famer was clearly in his glory acting as sideman and vocalist, happily ceding the spotlight to the understated Toussaint (also a Hall of Fame inductee) without completely giving over the concert to his guests.

martinfoyle · Post by **martinfoyle** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 6:01 pm

I'd nearly forgotten Toussaint wrote A Certain Girl. This was a staple part of Warren Zevons band shows and he always did agreat version. A variety of performances can be downloaded from here

http://www.archive.org/search.php?query ... on%3Aetree

johnfoyle · Post by **johnfoyle** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 4:52 pm

http://www.wireimage.com/GalleryListing ... &c4=191588

Elvis Costello and the Imposters with Allen Toussaint at Hill Auditorium - June 13, 2006

Post by **BlueChair** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 7:42 pm

martinfoyle wrote:I'd nearly forgotten Toussaint wrote A Certain Girl. This was a staple part of Warren Zevons band shows and he always did agreat version. A variety of performances can be downloaded from here

The Yardbirds also recorded a version early on.

ReadyToHearTheWorst · Post by **ReadyToHearTheWorst** » Fri Jun 16, 2006 7:28 pm

BlueChair wrote:
martinfoyle wrote:I'd nearly forgotten Toussaint wrote A Certain Girl. This was a staple part of Warren Zevons band shows and he always did agreat version. A variety of performances can be downloaded from here
The Yardbirds also recorded a version early on.

What's her Name?
I can't tell ya!

johnfoyle · Post by **johnfoyle** » Sat Jul 15, 2006 4:21 pm

http://www.mlive.com/news/aanews/index. ... xml&coll=2

Festival ends on a high note financially Praise for Top of the Park and strong ticket sales savored

Saturday, July 15, 2006

BY ROGER LELIEVRE
News Arts Writer

(extract)

Ticket sales for the 2006 Ann Arbor Summer Festival just concluded were generally higher than last year, and Top of the Park proved popular in its new temporary location.

The best-selling ticketed shows were Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint (2,107 tickets at Hill), Ani Difranco (at 1,291 a sell-out at Power) and dance troupe Diavolo (1,075). Improv comics Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood and political humorists Capitol Steps also did well, Woulfe said, as did the Reduced Shakespeare Co., Golden Dragon Acrobats and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

Turnouts were disappointing for pop crooner Michael Feinstein and "Bravo Broadway,'' he added.

johnfoyle · Post by **johnfoyle** » Sun Jul 16, 2006 3:33 pm

NEW on DIME: EC / Allen Toussaint 6-13-2006 Ann Arbor

see

http://www.elviscostellofans.com/phpBB2 ... 8136#88136

MOJO · Post by **MOJO** » Sun Jul 16, 2006 11:30 pm

DIME is dissin' me. I can't create an account because DIME maxed out on subscribers space?!?.... LAME. Who is the wanker running the server farm?)

Does anyone have acct. info. so I can login and download? Or, we can coordinate a separate upload/download connection.. Thanks.

migdd · Post by **migdd** » Sun Jul 16, 2006 11:38 pm

Know what you mean, MOJO. I've been trying for nearly a year to join DIME without success. Too much trouble, IMHO!

johnfoyle · Post by **johnfoyle** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 3:57 pm

martinfoyle wrote:
I'd nearly forgotten Toussaint wrote A Certain Girl. This was a staple part of Warren Zevons band shows and he always did agreat version. A variety of performances can be downloaded from here

The Yardbirds also recorded a version early on.

Doing yet another tidy up of discs I re-discovered this great album -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000 ... 6&v=glance

Hip Young Guitar Slinger

~ Jimmy Page & His Heavy Friends

# Audio CD (28 Aug 2000)
# Number of Discs: 2
# Label: Sequel
# ASIN: B00004W4Z9

A compilation of Jimmy Page's session work in the 1960's, it includes this -

Disc: 1

15. A Certain Girl - First Gear

- which is the Toussaint song.

However , what's more interesting is the First Gear single had the following song as it's b-side -

16. Leave My Kitten Alone - First Gear

Considering how Elvis used to cover this song so much in the 1980's it makes it all the more likely that it was this single that introduced both songs to him.

Pages's guitar solo on Kitten is a scorcher , by the way.

And No Coffee Table · Post by **And No Coffee Table** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 5:08 pm

Very interesting. On the other hand, EC mentions only the Little Willie John and Beatles versions of "Leave My Kitten Alone" in the Kojak Variety liner notes. I would think he would also mention a lesser known cover version if that's where he heard it first.

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:00 am

And No Coffee Table wrote:I would think he would also mention a lesser known cover version if that's where he heard it first.

I'm sure Elvis first heard me singing it in a park where I used to live and my mum recorded it on her portable reel-to-reel. He must have heard the playback.