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The Robertson County Times reports -
( extract)

Friday night’s 5th Annual Americana Honors & Awards show at the Ryman Auditorium opened with funk and moved through folk, soul, bluegrass, jazz and country and lots of places in between.

British rock icon Elvis Costello, New Orleans soulster Allen Toussaint, Nashville songwriting great Rodney Crowell, singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash, virtuoso acoustic instrumentalist Sam Bush and deep funk band The Dynamites all took the Ryman Auditorium stage on an awards night that was every bit as diverse as a typical Grammy evening.

Other lifetime achievement awards went to Sugar Hill Records founder Barry Poss, producer/engineer Allen Toussaint (presented by Costello), performer and famed singer-songwriter Alejandro Esco-vedo and Nashvillians Mickey Newbury (the songwriter received the posthumous President’s Award) and Rodney Crowell.

Toussaint, a fixture in the Crescent City who has made significant marks as a songwriter, producer, piano player, arranger and recording artist, performed with Costello, who remarked on the oddity of an Americana category that’s wide enough to reach across oceans.

“I don’t know how it is an English guy got up here at the Americana awards,” he said, before talking of his love for American-born music and of the impact that Toussaint has made on American popular music.

Continue reading "Elvis, Allen , Americana Awards, Nashville , Sept. 22" »

Posted by PostMaster General at 1:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CMT reports -

( extract)

Throughout her career, Emmylou Harris has always been a true friend and champion to songwriters, but on Tuesday night (Sept. 19) in Nashville, it was the songwriters who honored her with a tribute concert at the new Schermerhorn Symphony Center in
downtown Nashville.

The guest list included Elvis Costello, Rodney Crowell, Steve Earle, Patty Griffin, Dave Matthews, Allison Moorer and Gillian Welch -- all of whom performed at least one song that was connected to Harris' career. As a result, words seemed almost unnecessary to convey her sterling reputation in the music world.

Costello began the evening with an eloquent speech, then led the first-rate band -- Brady Blade, Sam Bush, Chris Donohue, Steve Fishell, Phil Madeira and Buddy Miller -- into "Sweet Dreams," which Harris took to No. 1 on the country charts in 1976. After that, Bush and Miller stepped forward for the Louvin Brothers' classic duet, "If I Could Only Win Your Love," which Harris brought back to the country Top 10 in 1975.

With Moorer at his side, Earle approached the microphone and reminisced about how Harris recorded "Guitar Town" for her 1992 album Live at the Ryman when his life was in ruins from a heroin addiction. He also noted she also sang with him on one of his most heartbreaking compositions, "Goodbye," for his comeback album, Train a Comin'. She later covered the song on her 1995 Daniel Lanois-produced rock album, Wrecking Ball.

In a spirit of camaraderie that Harris is known for, Earle and Moorer traded verses on "Goodbye" and then turned over the stage to Rodney Crowell. Harris and Crowell have been friends for more than 30 years, ever since she gave him a job in her Hot Band. With a big grin, Crowell told the audience about his former wife once bailing him out of a Los Angeles jail with the money he made from singing with Harris. Then he teamed with new artist Chris Janson to perform the barnburner he partially wrote during that brief stint behind bars -- "I Ain't Living Long Like This." And for a moment, it seemed that the sparkling new symphony hall, which has been open for less than two weeks, was the most luxurious honky-tonk you've ever seen.

The music turned more introspective as Griffin delivered a pristine version of "Boulder to Birmingham," one of Harris' earliest solo offerings and writing credits. (Harris' admirers can breathe a sigh of relief that she ultimately had a change of heart after penning the lyric, "I don't want to hear a sad story.") After the band exited the stage, Welch and partner David Rawlings praised Harris as "our friend and inspiration" and then offered a haunting rendition of "Hickory Wind." Afterward, Costello returned for a lively roll through "Mystery Train" with the couple.

Curiously, the affable Matthews chose to sing one of his own hits, "Grave Digger," and then invited Griffin to harmonize with him on "O Sister," a song from Bob Dylan's 1976 album, Desire. (Harris served as the primary harmony vocalist on the project. As her astonished houseguests will tell you, she has a gold plaque from Dylan's album hanging in her bathroom.) Finally, Costello joined Griffin at the microphone for the first time ever to sing the timeless "Love Hurts," which Harris initially recorded with her mentor, Gram Parsons.

Continue reading "Emmylou Harris Honored by Musicians She Inspired " »

Posted by PostMaster General at 1:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Your Postmaster General is still getting over the impact of this weeks shows -

The more I think about the two shows, the more I realise how significant they are. They featured songs and performance styles from all parts of Elvis' career. With the Il Sogno extracts, even his classical work was represented. Combine this with the fact that Elvis is not recording or planning to record and his impending fatherhood (on the double!) and it's hard not to think that the shows served as both a summation and (hopefully temporary) cessation of his musical career.

If so, he has gone out on a high. There wasn't a dud moment, with the second night being one of the best shows I've seen him do. From the balcony, facing stage centre, it was possible to see how confident and commanding he was on stage . Lessons were learnt from the certain aspects of the sequencing of the first night, leading to an absolutely engrossing second show.

Both nights started with two pieces from Il Sogno, both uptempo. Elvis then arrived on stage, proceeding without intro on night one into Clubland. This continuation of a hectic pace was a little overwhelming and was corrected on night two by a solo acoustic performance of River In Reverse. This served to let people, most of them rather elderly and perhaps unfamiliar with Elvis, get to know exactly who they had come to see.

Clubland ( a gaudy, magnificent beast of a song , this live setting only hinted at by the MFFB recording) we got Upon A Veil Of Midnight Blue. Night one had a a brief intro about the Charles Brown recording , night two we got the meat 'n two veg., four course version, about the Brown's editing the lyric. etc. Another cracking performance. Then Favourite Hour and on to another Il Sogno extract, Tormentress. Both nights we got a jokey intro. about the audience being able to well acquainted with someone like that etc. As the short piece played we got the only rather silly bit each night, the sight of Elvis , turning sideways, clicking his fingers and , uh, grooving stage centre. He really should have taken a note of how conductor Alan Broadbent politely sat immobile during Elvis' acoustic numbers.

The gorgeous version of All This Useless Beauty was, both nights, introduced with the story about being in Honolulu for three days and, because of continuous rain, having the time to compose an arrangement for it. It was sequenced before Tormentress on night one, it then being followed by an absolutely incendiary performance of Dust 2. Coming out of ATUB on night two, the extreme contrast proved a much more stimulating lead in to Poisoned Rose. By night two Elvis was more structured in his riffing and gave the song a decisive ending.

‘Rose was introduced with a comment about having just recorded and toured with Allen Toussaint. A tantalising comment was then made, both nights, about hopefully bringing that show to ' ...as we used to say, The Continent ' (presumably excluding the U.K. and Dublin). Allen had especially expanded, we were told, his arrangement for the Crescent City Horns bya few more scores for the Orkest. Another perfectly pitched performance was followed by more squeling electric guitar and blaring horns as Episode Of Blonde was screeched out. Yet again this was excellently sequenced. On night one it was kind of lost in the second half of the evening. On night two, as listeners recovered from the high volume, it was all the more pleasant to hear The Birds Will Still Be Singing. This was introduced the story about how when the Juliet Letters tour came to Amsterdam one of The Brodsky Quartet had a very high temperature and was out of his head on medication for the show. It was also the perfect closer for the first part of the evening.

Part two started with Still, Elvis joining the Orkest after extended intro. piece. Green Shirt was introduced with the story about this arrangement being debuted in Tokyo and special credit to the Orkest member who played the 'teepwriten' (phonetic approximation). Almost Ideal Eyes was real workout for the Orkest , seeming to involve all parts to the limit. Almost Blue had the story about being written for Chet Baker, and being borrowed back from Diana etc. The second half of the song had Elvis walk around the side of Orkest , venture in amongst the musicians and assume the seat at the piano as Steve did his Melodica piece. On night one it was clumsily done, with Steve sitting to the side by the piano and just about gasping his way to the songs end. On night two Steve stood to the side and handled things more confidently, even managing to work in a musical quote from (I could swear) My Funny Valentine (there goes another 15% of the royalties if a recording of this get released!).

Watching The Detectives was introduced with a story about it being about a lady whose extreme fondness for murder mysteries and her partners homicidal response. Yet another extreme workout for the Orkest, thrilling to behold. It was followed by My Flame Burns Blue. Both nights it was introduced with the comment about it's original composer, Billy Strayhorn, having written all his life about things he saw ( three or four titles were instanced) and how this was his final tune , and was called Blood Count because that was what he was seeing. This rather macabre talk got a few nervous laughs with Elvis feeling the need to respond by saying something like 'well that's the way it was'. Another confident performance.

She then followed. Elvis introduced it with story that he'd been asked to do it by Trevor Jones with the comment that he - Trevor- wanted to destroy his reputation. This was going to be a song that was unashamedly romantic, with no get-out clause in the third verse. It was like casting Peter Lorre in the Cary Grant role he added. On night one Elvis felt the need to elaborate this by suggesting a more modern version, offering the names Philp Seymour Hoffman in the George Clooney role. On night two, the audience being more elderly, he stuck to the Lorre/Grant line, getting the required laugh. Elvis continued that the 'damn thing' had been a hit - 'everywhere but here'. Another laugh and into to the song...to wild applause. Viewing the second show from the balcony, I saw a curious sight. Dotted throughout the darkened auditorium below me I could see mobile phones lighting up. People were either sharing this Special Song with non-attendees or were recording it. It was the only song to get this peculiar reaction.

Another confident vocal was followed by continuing right into God Give Me Strength. Both nights it was pretty straight performance, with one interesting little addition on night two. In the studio performance the song revolves around a absolutely crucial drum roll, just as the line 'I want him to hurt' is sung/emoted. This wasn’t quite carried of on night one - it rarely is in the live performances I’ve heard. On night two Elvis crudely but effectively conveyed the required sound by stamping his feet for that line, along with the Orkest's drum fill.

After leaving the stage, Elvis returned to do I Still Have That Other Girl In My Head, the Orkest adding a bit of grit but still swinging as good as the Bachrach version. After a joke about doing a song from another century it was on to Alison. The string section was just that little bit short of syrupy, aided by just-right brass sounds. Tracks of My Tears was quoted at the end. The Orkest then downed tools as Elvis 'n Steve gave I Want You a ferocious seeing too. Night two was the better. On night one someone had shouted out for the song just before Alison and, seeing as how it wasn't listed on the set list I briefly saw , it was probably a instinctive addition. I didn't see the second night's set list but I imagine it was listed this time. Certainly Elvis was more on demented mode, going all stuttery 'n Van-Morrison-'Love-That-Love's-To-Love' like, and adding some quotes at the end which I didn't recognise, something about 'magnetic' I think.

By now the crowd was on it's feet, crowding the stage front. Well those down stairs were; up in the balcony the elderly types were realising that it was nearly half eleven at night and some couples left. Hora Decubitus was fun, the brass section really getting a stretch; Elvis doing his hepcat act again, yelping along. That’s How You Got Killed Before was more of the same.

By then it was time to wind things down a bit. The Sharpest Thorn again sounded anthemic , getting everyone 'doo-dooing' along. Elvis left the stage to combined cheers and 'dooing'. As the applause continued I could see him about to return, walking out of the dark to the stage-left. The 'Doo-dooing' started up again and he slowed and stopped before coming into the full light. He let it well up and then dashed to the microphone to add 'The Sharpest Thorn' to finish up the chanting, to wild applause.

Things were then finished up entirely by the no-amplification Couldn't Call It Unexpected No.4. On night one, standing at the stage edge, it was perfectly clear. Night two, from the balcony, it was a voice in the distance that seemed to expand to fill the place. A few nervous laughs were shushed and I could see heads shaking at the audacity of it.

And then it was over. An ending in more ways than one perhaps but all the more outstanding for that.

Posted by PostMaster General at 7:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The New Orleans Times Picayune wonders -

What, no "Born to Run"?

To mark the final night of their five-week North American tour, Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint presided over a Tuesday night epic at the House of Blues that recalled Bruce Springsteen's indefatigable heyday. The marathon three-hour and 10-minute performance capped off -- and realized the full potential of -- the duo's post-Katrina partnership.

Backed by a seamless synthesis of their respective bands -- Toussaint's guitarist and horn section grafted onto Costello's Imposters -- they rendered most of "The River in Reverse," their joint Verve Records album, and recast Costello chestnuts with intriguing new arrangements by Toussaint.

At this year's New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Costello made a brief appearance as a special guest of Toussaint's band. By reversing that dynamic, their collaboration hit its stride. Neither ceded his identity to complement the other.

Toussaint is a reluctant frontman; Costello relishes the spotlight. So Toussaint was in his element at the side of the House of Blues stage, dressing up arrangements with elegant flourishes on a grand piano, as Costello stood and sang front and center.

Both are legendarily prolific songwriters. "Allen has written 450,000 songs," Costello joked. "I'm catching up with him. I've written 350,000, including 17 since we arrived here this afternoon."

They dove into their respective, and joint, catalogs. Costello laced "Broken Promise Land" with a jagged guitar solo, then set aside the guitar to plead "Freedom for the Stallion." They revived "Deep Dark Truthful Mirror," their collaboration from Costello's 1989 "Spike" album, and navigated the tricky topography of Toussaint's "Yes We Can Can."

The Crescent City Horns -- "all the way from right here," Toussaint cracked -- generated their own atmosphere with backing vocals, synchronized steps and brass. "Big" Sam Williams' trombone charge razzed "Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further," as on the record. But his cohorts also distinguished themselves, from Amadee Castenell's flute intro to "Alison" to "Breeze" Cayolle's baritone sax to Joe "Fox" Smith's ever-present trumpet. Together, they overlaid Costello's "(I Don't Want to Go To) Chelsea" with ska tones, spun his "Poisoned Rose" into a pure New Orleans rhythm and blues ballad and pumped up "Pump It Up."

Imposters keyboardist Steve Nieve's Hammond B-3 organ dueled with Toussaint's piano in "Nearer to You." Drummer Pete Thomas and bassist Davey Faragher found common ground between rock and funk. Toussaint guitarist Anthony Brown chimed in alongside them.

In the first encore, Toussaint delivered a solo piano discourse on "Tipitina," imagining the Professor Longhair classic in multiple settings. In the night's emotional climax, he rested his hands on his heart to quietly sing Paul Simon's "American Tune" against a soft cushion of Nieve's organ and Costello's acoustic guitar. "I don't know a soul who's not been battered/I don't have a friend who feels at ease/I don't know a dream that's not been shattered or driven to its knees," sang Toussaint, who lost his house in Gentilly. "But it's all right, for we lived so well so long/Still, when I think of the road we're traveling on, I wonder what's gone wrong."

His partnership with Costello has afforded him more national attention than he's received in decades. And Costello's proximity to an artist he has long admired has invigorated him, prompting his entry into a world of music he has always enjoyed.

As the show neared its conclusion, Costello wondered whether he'd ever share a stage with as fine a gentleman as Toussaint. Their time together, he said, had been "a privilege." As it was for those who witnessed its conclusion.

Continue reading "Farewell flourish" »

Posted by PostMaster General at 6:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Akron Beacon Journal reports -

Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint's collaboration, The River In Reverse, was born in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which drove the New Orleans music legend from his hometown.

Friday night at Blossom, shortly before the nearly three-hour concert featuring Costello, his band, the Imposters, Toussaint and The Crescent City Horns, Mother Nature seemed to remind stalwart concertgoers of the project's impetus with frequent lightning, thunder and torrential rain.

The pavilion-only show was sparsely populated, which allowed the sound to bounce off the empty seats, muddying the mix a bit.

The folks who were there spent the first two songs -- a peppy (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding? and the more recent Monkey To Man -- making an exodus to the empty seats in the front, followed by a reluctant trickle to the back with quickly tightened Blossom security at their heels as Toussaint entered and sang A Certain Girl, an early hit for The Yardbirds. The duo played nearly all of The River In Reverse, which features a mix of classic Toussaint tracks with new songs co-written by the two. They also sprinkled in Costello's hits and rhythmically appropriate album cuts with new horn arrangements by Toussaint, which added interesting twists.

The taut faux Watching The Detectives became a fussy but fun jazz-noir ska with a typically dramatic piano solo from original Attraction Steve Nieve. Alison got a new elegaic horn and flute intro, plus Toussaint's lovely piano figures.

Just as on the The River In Reverse, Costello, wearing an understated black western-themed suit, did the bulk of the singing. While his familiar, nasal voice and sharp enunciation would seem at odds with the smooth R&B sound of the music, his vocals were soulful and powerful -- particularly on the ballads The Greatest Love, Costello's Poisoned Rose and Deep Dark Truthful Mirror, with Toussaint's modest tenor providing a nice contrast on a funky Get Out My Life Woman.

The set list contained more than 30 songs, and Toussaint's elegant yet rollicking piano was featured prominently throughout, including an encore of variations on a classic Professor Longhair tune that led into the bitter new song Ascension Day.

The overwhelmingly Costello-loving crowd showed its appreciation for Toussaint's music and lively piano playing with dancing and standing ovations, and reacted to Costello's references to the injured city and the government's slow reaction with cheers of support.

Continue reading " a fussy but fun jazz-noir ska" »

Posted by PostMaster General at 6:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Costello biographer Graeme Thomson reviews River In Reverse -

Costello is an American artist now. His laser-pen is no longer trained on the provincial jackals, political hypocrites and poor-me celebrity whores of little Britain. Now, it’s all Fifth Avenue torch songs (North), Southern Gothic concept albums (The Delivery Man) and, with The River In Reverse, drawing inspiration from one of the United States’ great songwriters.

Costello re-established an occasional acquaintance with Allen Toussaint while the legendary New Orleans writer and pianist was holed up in New York, having been evicted by Hurricane Katrina. Inevitably — this is Costello, after all — the idea of a full collaboration soon followed, half of it cut in still-ravaged New Orleans with a combination of local players and Costello's Imposters. The result is his most enjoyable record for a decade: ribald, melodic, funky, tear-stained when appropriate , above all drenched in soulful humanity.

Scattered amongst vibrant new readings of Toussaint gems like Tears, Tears And More Tears and Freedom For The Stallion, the handful of co-compositions need to be on their game and generally are: International Echo is the theme from Only Fools And Horses married to Costello’s own Fish ‘N Chip Paper, reverberating with the joy of making music. The title song, by contrast, is funereal, its merciless beat slow-marching relentlessly to the morgue, the words picking their way through the nightmare of an unnamed but hellishly evoked New Orleans. It’s the only time The River In Reverse doesn’t wear its political anger lightly, and is all the more effective for it.

In terms of Costello, the song simply reaffirms that Uncle Sam’s gain is our loss. However, there is no doubting the album’s true star. The River In Reverse is a timely reminder of the stature of the super-talented Toussaint, emphasising the fluidity of his playing and the brilliance of his songbook, not to mention how many of his lyrics remain depressingly relevant today. Indeed, weighted as it is towards Costello, the album’s only drawback is that you end up aching for more of his collaborator.

Posted by PostMaster General at 7:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Boston Herald

Elvis Costello would probably be the first to admit that he wasn’t the greatest songwriter onstage Wednesday.

True, Costello’s catalog is far from shoddy. But he tends to aim high when he collaborates, having already worked with Burt Bacharach and, earlier this summer, with the Boston Pops. Now he’s upped the ante by working with Allen Toussaint - not only one of New Orleans’ master tunesmiths, but a pianist with decades of tradition at his fingertips.

From the start, when Toussaint strolled onstage during Costello’s New Orleans-inspired “Monkey to Man,” it was clear this wasn’t going to be a competition. Instead, a spirit of collaboration ruled, as Costello brought along his Imposters - two-thirds of whom have been with him since 1978 - and Toussaint his four-piece Crescent City Horns (plus guitarist Anthony Brown, who stayed in the shadows while Costello played leads). Toussaint’s horn arrangements added an elegant touch to a few handfuls of Costello favorites; in turn, Costello got Toussaint to drop his gentlemanly reserve and pound the Steinway grand with abandon.

Hurricane Katrina was invoked often in songs from their newalbum, “The River in Reverse” - Costello’s title track was a rare show of righteous anger - but so was the eternal spirit of New Orleans. The songs that sounded most topical were “Freedom for the Stallion” and “Who’s Gonna Help Brother Get Further,” both of which asked if America still cares about its less fortunate. Yet both songs were written by Toussaint in the early ’70s.

Gregarious as always, Costello made a few pointed political comments between tunes. And it must be noted that he sounded far more at home with r & b than he has with the torch and art songs he’s tried in recent years. During “On Your Way Down,” he bounced a nasty fuzztone guitar off Toussaint’s elegant piano runs: punk meets funk. And “(I Don’t Want to Go to) Chelsea,” from Costello’s younger days, benefited from a slightly chaotic but appropriate horn chart.

The last encore of a nearly three-hour show built from Paul Simon’s “American Tune” - by far the oddest choice of the night but given real soul by Toussaint’s vocal - to a rave-up on Little Richard’s “Slippin’ & Slidin’.” It’s a longstanding tradition for Costello to end the night with something unfamiliar and a bit jarring, but in this case “The Sharpest Thorn,” a song about a dimly remembered night of excess, ended with the horns alone on a note of jubilation

The Phoenix

( extract)

“The best time, personally, I’ve ever had on stage,” is how Costello summed it all up. Toussaint played second fiddle on his grand piano for most of the set, but shone on “A Certain Girl” and on a Professor Longhair variation that began the second encore. And there was an implicit, positive message in Toussaint’s exuberant “Yes We Can Can,” vis-à-vis the New Orleans wreckage.

Boston Globe -
(extract)

Most of the brightest colors were supplied by the four-man Crescent City Horns who added noir tones to ``Watching the Detectives," a calypso-style liveliness to ``Clubland," and punctuated Toussaint's playful ``A Certain Girl" with a series of bright brass exclamation points.

Toussaint sang only a handful of songs but made his presence known on the Steinway, enlivening the evening with licks both rollicking and solemn, sometimes on the same song as on the deceptively upbeat lament ``Who's Gonna Help a Brother Get Further?"

Costello seemed especially energized and was in strong voice -- crooning R&B tunes, yelping rockers, and applying his acidic bark to vigorous new protest songs -- and made it easy to believe him when he said that this was the most fun he'd ever had onstage.

Near the end of the evening the regal Toussaint transformed the lyrics of Paul Simon's gently weary ``American Tune" into both an elegy for lost ideals and a poignant rebuke of those who've lost them. It was stunning.

Continue reading "punk meets funk" »

Posted by PostMaster General at 6:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

New York Post -

OVER his enduring career, Elvis Costello has been a genre-jumping pied piper who has led his fans on musical sojourns as diverse as new wave, classical, country and opera.

At the Beacon Theatre on Monday, the first of his two-show engagement, Costello bowed low to old-fashioned New Orleans R&B with Crescent City piano icon Allen Toussaint as his guide and muse. While the hairlines of both men have steadily traveled north, this performance demonstrated that their skills haven't gone south.

For a point of reference to the music, forget about the kind of soul and R&B that's infused into contemporary hip-hop. Instead, travel back to the rolling piano work and earthy vocals of a young Fats Domino singing songs that weren't quite country, blues or rock, but a little of each.

Over the course of the 21/2-hour concert, the pair traded licks on their individual hits and the songs they penned together for their recent CD "The River in Reverse," inspired by Hurricane Katrina.

These men have very different styles - Costello's tenor is nimble, reaching both highs and lows, but it has an abrasive quality. Toussaint is always smooth, his tones are soulful, and his delivery has an unexpected sincerity and humbleness.

During some of the songs, like Toussaint's "Freedom for the Stallion," the pair complemented one another. And then there were songs where they seemed at odds, as on "Ascension Day," a stripped-down retooling of the bright New Orleans standard "Tipitina" disguised in a solemn minor key.

When Costello laid down one of his own classics, such as the concert opener "(What's So Funny About) Peace, Love and Understanding," or the late show rave "Pump It Up," the crowd matched his performance energy, but it was mostly an easy, relaxed night of music that the audience members enjoyed from their seats.

Still, there was no doubt about whom the crowd was there to hear.

At this show, Costello dominated the fans' attention, strumming and humming center stage. Toussaint's soul and R&B production served as the concert's glue, and he seemed content to be the pianist for Costello's band.

Toussaint did do a bit of lead vocal work, the best of which was on a cover of Paul Simon's "American Tune" and his own "Yes We Can Can," which was made popular by the Pointer Sisters back in the '70s.

The Costello songs that fared best with this old-school soul treatment were the midset rendering of "Poison Rose" and the encore song, "Alison." Each demonstrated how a stylistic shift can make you hear a time-tested oldie in a new way.

New York Times -
(extract)

The unusually sympathetic rapport between the two headliners was the evening’s finest feature. It worked beautifully on “Ascension Day,” an apocalyptic tone poem by Mr. Costello based on Mr. Toussaint’s minor-key translation of Professor Longhair’s New Orleans classic “Tipitina.” And it worked again on the next number, a cover of Paul Simon’s “American Tune,” with Mr. Toussaint on lead vocal.

“I don’t know a soul who’s not been battered,” he sang in a quiet voice, accompanied only by Steve Nieve on Hammond organ and Mr. Costello on acoustic guitar. Mr. Toussaint carried the line, and the rest of the song, with masterly understatement. When he repeated the phrase “I’m all right,” it came with a complex and subtly powerful mixture of emotions.

Hollywoodd Reporter -
(extract)

Costello was the perfect foil for Toussaint's cool and hammed it up as ringmaster and emcee, serving as a street barker slyly beckoning listeners to consider the gravity of the lyrics beneath the horn-driven romps. The new songs "On Your Way Down" and "Tears, Tears and More Tears" were lively, piano-driven compositions that Costello crooned over, pleasantly masking the aching inspiration the New Orleans-based Toussaint must have felt when he wrote them. Imposter Steve Nieve slammed out a groove on a Hammond B3 alongside Toussaint's piano while Costello sang "Broken Promise Land"; the audience could not help but sway along.

Continue reading "While the hairlines of both men have steadily traveled north, this performance demonstrated that their skills haven't gone south." »

Posted by PostMaster General at 6:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Buffalo News comments -

NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. - There are ways to acknowledge tragedy, to shine a light on suffering, that seem forced and, at their worst, opportunistic. Then there is the musical marriage of English pop maestro/renaissance man Elvis Costello and legendary New Orleans soul/r&b composer, arranger and pianist Allen Toussaint. That relationship crystallized around their post-Katrina celebration of N'Awlins soul, "The River in Reverse," and the subsequent concert tour supporting the album, which brought Costello, Toussaint, and their musical collaborators to the Avalon Ballroom for the first of two nights on Friday.

There is nothing contrived about the pair's work mining the deep musical history of New Orleans on "The River in Reverse," and that is doubly so of the way Costello and Toussaint, with the former's Imposters and the latter's Crescent City Horns in tow, translated that material in the concert setting.

It was fiery, fun, funky and fueled by a reverence for Louisiana soul that was never too heavy-handed or overtly studied. It was also a celebration of the indomitability of the human spirit and the bodies of work of two remarkable songwriters from remarkably different cultures who found much common ground.

Costello's name is the better-known one outside of New Orleans, but in many ways, Friday's show was all about the brand of soul Toussaint has been perfecting for decades. Aside from the set opener, Costello's revered take on Nick Lowe's "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?" - which appropriately set up the concert's subtle underpinning theme of hope amid despair - the concert consisted of Costello and the Imposters (Steve Nieve, Pete Thomas and Davey Faragher) coming to Toussaint's table. They accorded themselves amazingly well in that endeavor.

Toussaint penned new arrangements and horn parts for several Costello classics, notably the poetic, piano-led masterpiece from Costello's late-'80s tour de force "Spike," "Deep Dark Truthful Mirror," which was simply (and snarlingly) sublime. "Poisoned Rose," another impeccable ballad, this time from the "King of America" album, was also given a fresh arrangement, courtesy of Toussaint, who wrapped Costello's eloquent vocal and acoustic guitar in tasteful horn harmonies.

Costello the singer pushed himself to considerable heights when singing Toussaint's tunes. "Nearer to You" found him reaching for - and hitting, dead-on - high notes, blending jazzlike phrasing with old-school gospel, and it was pretty much mind-blowing. "On Your Way Down" was French Quarter soul of the highest degree, and Costello really wrung the sponge of every drop of emotion, while the band - particularly Toussaint guitarist Anthony "AB" Brown, who was so deep in the pocket, it's a wonder he ever found his way out again - swung with agility and grace. "Tears, Tears and More Tears" was another corker, sung with complete, full-throated commitment by Costello, and bolstered by vigorous kicks from the horns. Toussaint took the lead vocal on his own barn-burner, "A Certain Girl," which brought the audience to its feet. Another Toussaint spotlight, "Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further?" tied the man's street-savvy funk to the evening's recurring references to class and race warfare, which was wrapped beneath the post-Katrina New Orleans umbrella most ably and passionately by Costello, as he intoned the title song of "The River in Reverse," which was the evening's highest high point.

New Orleans might have been abandoned by those whose job it was to help it, as Costello (like so many other high-profile rock composers and musicians, from Bruce Springsteen to Dr. John) has suggested, but its greatest gift to our country - the music that we call our own and offer to the world - is clearly alive and well. Costello, Toussaint and their collaborators offered us a glorious evening celebrating that fact.

Continue reading "It was fiery, fun, funky and fueled by a reverence for Louisiana soul" »

Posted by PostMaster General at 8:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Columbus Dispatch comments -

(extract)

Call the Elvis Costello/Allen Toussaint tour—which arrived in the Lifestyle Communities Pavilion last night—the campaign trail. With the tour and his duet album with Toussaint, Costello is not angling for office but rather is on a mission to re-acquaint this country with itself.

Specifically, the shows pay tribute to New Orleans and the popular culture that owes a great debt to composer, producer and pianist Toussaint. At its broadest, the program views the destruction of the Crescent City as a symbol of a nation in trouble, largely because it is losing respect for its people and their rich cultural heritage, much of which originated in New Orleans.

The “River In Reverse” album and the tour aren't without pointed political statement. Among the most potent Friday night were the co-written songs “Broken Promise Land”; Toussaint's “Freedom For The Stallion,” recorded by Three Dog Night more than 30 years ago; and Costello's harrowing album title track.

That brilliant song, in particular, displayed Costello's maturation as an artist and the clear and compassionate vision of the album and tour, as it joined the desperation felt by flood victims with the larger erosion in the quality of the lives of the poorest among them.

The jacket of Costello's 1980 album “Trust,” from which Friday's smoking “Clubland” was drawn, features an impish Elvis peering suspiciously over sunglasses and symbolically aiming a very pointed finger. With the material and design of the current tour, Costello no longer is the sometimes shrill and easy to dismiss bull-in-a-China shop of old. He's found that a fading musical snapshot coupled with an unforgiving mirror are considerably more potent tools.

Some of Toussaint's classic soul tunes resonated deepest. The cautionary tale “On Your Way Down,” the uplifting “Yes We Can Can” and the soulful “Tears, Tears And More Tears” witnessed a musical style and supporting culture that was dealt a daunting blow by Hurricane Katrina.

Costello didn't ignore his long-faithful audience, most of whom must have had some inkling of his love of r&b long before now, with plenty selections from his own catalogue. From hits to obscurities, though, the band adapted them terrifically and frequently with a great deal of political or stylistic relevance.

The core band of keyboardist Steve Nieve, who partnered nicely on organ with Toussaint on piano, bassist Davey Faragher and ace drummer Pete Thomas rocked hard and always found the groove augmented by guitarist Anthony Brown and the Crescent City horns. While Costello's voice strained to reach the limits of his range, his performance still was inspiring.

Toussaint created nearly all of the arrangements for the 10-piece band including Costello's chestnuts. All of them were on the money. The extended reading of the needless “Dust,” one of two Costello arrangements, was one of the few missteps of the evening.

As a whole, though, the two-and-a-half hour program was smartly constructed, paced to keep the energy high, Costello fans happy and the cause near at hand. Plenty hopeful, Costello's message was guarded. “Like New Orleans,” he seemed to be saying, “what you hear tonight is rapidly going, going … ”

Continue reading "'.......on a mission to re-acquaint this country with itself.'" »

Posted by PostMaster General at 11:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Seattle
-
(extract)

Costello, who seems out to master every musical genre, pop to country to jazz, this time is dabbling in New Orleans R&B. His distinctive voice — a pop-y tenor laced with cynicism — didn't always mesh perfectly with Toussaint's earnest, soulful songwriting, but the onstage camaraderie made for a tight performance.

The picnicking, wine-drinking crowd may have bought their concert tickets so they could sing along to Costello classics like "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding," "Pump It Up," and "Alison" (all ably delivered), but they got plenty more: about a dozen songs from the pair's new CD, "The River in Reverse." The CD — a mix of Costello covering old songs penned by the New Orleans songwriter-pianist and new pieces they wrote together — provided many of the night's best-received tunes.

One of those, the funky, bluesy "On Your Way Down" (a Toussaint song from 1970) was jazzed up by the real stars of the night, the Crescent City Horns, who matched Toussaint note for note as he pounded the keys on the baby grand. The horns — who during the second of three encores gave a dreamy brass-quartet intro to "Alison" — were led by the remarkable Sam "Big Sam" Williams on trombone.

Toussaint and Costello (who announced Sunday that he and wife Diana Krall are expecting a baby, according to The Associated Press) are actually longtime collaborators. The match brings out the best in both. Like a lot of R&B, Toussaint songs can be overwrought; "Ascension Day" (sample lyric: "She hasn't been gone long enough for me to miss her") could be heard as no more than one man singing for his lost girl. But with Costello's edge, it was a song for all of us, and all we have lost.

Vancouver -
( extract)

The pairing of Costello and Toussaint, the fabled New Orleans singer, songwriter and pianist, for the first time since 1989, wasn't ever meant to be a minor operation. They matched Costello's band, the Imposters, with Toussaint's Crescent City Horns, plus his guitarist Anthony Brown.

Together, 10 men mounted the stage in a night of surging, soaring intensity. The River in Reverse, their recent CD, was only the starting point: the scope and substance of the night stretched back to old-time New Orleans and up into huge swaths of Costello's own, multifaceted songbook.

Indeed, the sometime British Columbian walked out with his three-piece -- organist Steve Nieve, bassist Davey Faragher, drummer Peter Thomas -- and tore into (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding: a fabulous, muddy mix that turned far more precise as the horns arrived and the night progressed.

"Congratulations, dad!" someone yelled out. "A new baby!" shouted another, noting the news that his wife, Diana Krall, is expecting a child in December.

Costello hesitated, then looked at his watch.

"Does this make me Canadian, then?" he said to wild applause.

Costello was certainly centre stage all night, retelling the story of the project, and the first time he and Toussaint played together again, just after Hurricane Katrina, at a Lincoln Center benefit, before going into a duet on Freedom for the Stallion.

There was so much to watch, and listen to. Costello's own inspired, chainsaw rhythm guitar playing, trombonist Sam Williams's towering solo turns, and his moonwalk.

And there was of course Toussaint himself.

"How come you sing all the vocals on this record, you big-headed swine," Costello recalled someone asking him, before explaining that Toussaint was just too "self-effacing."

Continue reading "' But with Costello's edge, it was a song for all of us, and all we have lost.'" »

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Mercury News comments -
(extract)

Costello and the Imposters kicked the evening off with Nick Lowe’s "Peace, Love and Understanding," a tad more restrained than usual, before welcoming the horns, guitarist Anthony Brown and finally Toussaint, who glided onstage halfway through "Monkey to Man" to warm applause.

The rest of the show interspersed material from the new album – a mix of some of Toussaint’s weightier vintage compositions and new ones by both men – with selections from both men’s voluminous catalogs. One treat was new Toussaint horn arrangements for nine older Costello tunes. While they weren’t quite as inspired as his brilliant work on the Band’s "Rock of Ages," they added a refreshing dimension to songs both familiar (an "Alison" featuring flute and soprano sax) and nearly forgotten (a terrific "The Poisoned Rose" from "King of America.")

Toussaint was an inspired accompanist throughout, and he also took the occasional turn on the mike, singing the irresistible 1961 hit "A Certain Girl" early on, and later delivering the ’70s-era "Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues)." Costello’s right-hand man, keyboardist Steve Nieve, mostly stuck to the Hammond B-3 organ, but he did take over the piano stool long enough during the encores for a sharp "Clubland" solo that seemed to please Toussaint. The horn section was first-rate, and charismatic trombonist "Big Sam" Williams in particular made a nice impression with his forceful solos.

Toward the end of the set, a couple of dark, dense numbers sans Toussaint hampered the good vibes slightly, but a string of Costello oldies starting with "Watching the Detectives" got the crowd back on its feet.

It was after 10:30 when the whole gang came out for one final set of encores, and the New Orleans party that had been threatening to break out all night finally erupted with the inevitable "Yes We Can Can" and a fun "Fortune Teller," before the show closed on a poignant note with the best of the new Toussaint-Costello collaborations, "The Sharpest Thorn."

CONTRA COSTA TIMES comments -
( extract)

Much of the material from the 21/2-hour set came from the pair's new record "The River in Reverse." After Costello and his Imposters properly warmed up the crowd, opening with "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?" out came the four-piece Crescent City Horns to pump up Costello's "Monkey to Man," while Toussaint sauntered out about halfway through.

With the full band assembled, the musicians got right down to business on "The River in Reverse's" opening, mid-tempo blues chunker "On Your Way Down." Costello was clearly enjoying his foray into American roots, pushing his voice when presented with the chance, on songs like "Freedom for the Stallion." The arrangements were tight, with the horns packing extra punch for the older Costello songs. While there were ups and downs, and not everything worked well, there was still plenty of high points.

"Tears, Tears and More Tears" was as buoyant as Lyle Lovett's best live moments, splicing blues with gospel. "Broken Promise Land," had a tinge of the revivalist by the end, with Costello yelling the line "In the name of the father and the son, in the name of gasoline and a gun," playing to the political leanings of the crowd.

Costello's "Poisoned Rose," was a nice surprise; another example of how a change of scenery can do wonders for a song otherwise buried in a big back catalog.

Toussaint was content sideman for most of the night, though it was a great treat to see him pull out a big version of "Yes We Can Can," at the Paramount -- appropriate considering Oakland's Pointer Sisters made it one of their first big hits more than 30 years ago.

Toussaint disappeared for a few songs toward show's end, which may have contributed to a deflated vibe, though the audience did get up for Costello's "Watching the Detectives" and "Pump it Up." Toussaint returned with Costello for a bare-bones "Ascension Day," then with the full band on a rocking "International Echo." The pair put together a stunning new arrangement for "Alison," quieting it down and highlighting the song's feel with some selected, well-done sax and flute.

They brought everyone up out of their seats for the encores, including Toussaint's "Fortune Teller," and the perfect send-off from the new record, "The Sharpest Thorn." People were still humming it in the parking lot after the show -- always a good sign.

San Francisco Chronicle comments -

(extract)

It would take some surly rock star from England to remind us Colonials of our own natural resources.

But Elvis Costello doesn't normally pull audiences to their feet at the end of every song. At the Paramount in his joint performance Tuesday with New Orleans music great Allen Toussaint, he was getting standing ovation after standing ovation for songs the audience had largely never heard before in an evening they won't soon forget.

Costello clearly relished the experience, staying onstage almost three hours, playing a generous 34 songs and sometimes acting like little more than just another fan with the best seat in the house as he glowed watching Toussaint weave his spell.

And Toussaint is truly an under-appreciated, virtually undiscovered gem. If anything good has come out of Katrina at all it is the increased national profile his career has received as a result of benefit albums he has appeared on, television appearances including last year's Grammys (too bad the knucklehead announcer couldn't get his name right), the first such appearance in his near 50 years in the record business, since he got his start putting piano parts on Fats Domino records while the '50s rock and roll star was on tour. He has long been a national treasure, just unknown outside New Orleans and record business circles.

Wearing a conservative tailored suit, socks and sandals, he presided over the keyboard with a dignity and authority uncommon outside the classical world. When he returned for an encore with his solo piano musings on the works of Professor Longhair, another little known New Orleans pianist, long dead, "Me and Tipitina," Toussaint held the crowd in the palm of his hand as he waltzed them through a piece that can only best be described as chamber R&B. He spun delicate and airy glissandos that hung in the air like lace.

Costello, standing by the side of the piano as entranced by what he was hearing as anybody, then explained that he asked Toussaint to transpose that piece and he wrote lyrics to the music to create a song called "Ascension Day," which they performed like they were in a cathedral. It was a solemn, sublime moment of artistic transcendence; the meeting many worlds, blending into one heartbeat, a profound convergence that held the standing crowd hushed.

But his stunning remakes of Costello's songs were the treasures of the evening. He made "Poisoned Rose" sound like a forgotten Fats Domino blues. He gave "Clubland" this big, booming Cubano riff, which Costello keyboardist Steve Nieve matched on the piano, while Toussaint took over the organ for the sassy, brassy version. His supple, sweet high harmonies softened the sometimes harsh sound of Costello's gritty delivery. It was the big, billowing, seductive sound of Toussaint -- Elvis at the fore -- that had them jumping out of their seats.

The fans that came Tuesday may have been making a leap of faith since the new album has only been out a couple of weeks and has hardly been pounding from the radio anywhere or selling off the front counter at Tower Records. But Costello has tapped something very potent and vital in this historic collaboration.

With the future of the city itself something of a question mark, Costello and Toussaint are keeping New Orleans culture on the front lines. And it never needed to be there more.

Continue reading "He spun delicate and airy glissandos that hung in the air like lace." »

Posted by PostMaster General at 7:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Variety comment-
( extract)
Though the 2006 Playboy Jazz Festival was touted as a gathering of soul brothers for the storm-battered city of New Orleans, only on Sunday did the connection really surface. Elder Edward Babb and the trombone-laden McCollough Sons of Thunder evoked the spirit of N'awlins first (though they hail from Harlem); then, the still-spry Preservation Hall Jazz Band roused the handkerchief-waving crowd right around dinnertime. But ultimately it was the joker in this jazz deck, Elvis Costello -- in cahoots with the magnificent producer-songwriter-singer-pianist-catalyst Allen Toussaint -- who seized the moment with the most irresistible musical and emotional pull.

Costello/Toussaint project "The River in Reverse" shouldn't have surprised the mass media as much as it did, for rock stars since the Band have collaborated happily with Toussaint for decades -- and Costello seems bent upon collaborating with just about everybody. This live teaming brought out the best in both.

While the sound of their collaboration stayed pretty much on Toussaint's terms, Costello sounded confident, cocky and totally at home in the absolutely distinctive Toussaint horn arrangements and signature Southern funk -- as did his band, the Imposters. The lead went back and forth, with Toussaint giving an especially funky push to the vocals on "Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further?" and Costello resurrecting a tune that Toussaint did for Lee Dorsey long ago, "Freedom for the Stallion," that fit the tone of their post-Katrina agenda.

Even an old Costello calling card, "Watching the Detectives," was perfectly translated by Toussaint -- and Costello gave Toussaint's "Yes We Can Can" a jolt of his urgency. That one got this jazz party jiggling in the aisles.

The Hollywood Reporter sneers -
( extract)

Elder Edward Babb, a bar-walking, gospel-quoting, mighty loud trombonist, is never going to be a J.J. Johnson. Neither are the many other trombonists in his band, the McCullough Sons of Thunder.

But at least Babb means what he says. This was not the case with the noted singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, who brought the Imposters along to help him out with his piano man. That was the equally noted Allen Toussaint, a fellow producer with a major New Orleans track record and the ability to play exactly like Jelly Roll Morton.

The outcome, intended to benefit the victims of Hurricane Katrina, was about what you would expect from the two crack-shot producers: overproduced empty pieties, predictable stuff about helping your brother and overcoming tragedy. The band for the two stars' River in Reverse tour, just getting started, was competent enough.

Continue reading "the joker in this jazz deck" »

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DCist.com, DC comments -

Elvis Costello has built an illustrious career around not being a conformist. He has dipped his fingers into so many musical genres and collaborated with such a wide range of music legends that it is hard to know which Elvis will show up during his annual summer stop at Wolf Trap. Will it be angry, loud, rocker Elvis (2002)? Romantic Elvis (2004)? Country and bluegrass-infused Elvis (2005)? It is precisely that uncertainty that makes the anticipation of an Elvis Costello concert so much sweeter. However, not all Elvises are equal.

Last night's concert was, quite simply, the best Elvis Costello and the Imposters concert this region has seen in several years. In a 34-song, two hour and forty-five minute set, Costello and legendary New Orleans songwriter Allen Toussaint put together a diverse mix of pieces from their new album, The River in Reverse, as well as from their extensive catalogues of work spanning four decades of prolific songwriting. Sure, there were the requisite Elvis Costello hits - rocking versions of "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding" (which kicked off the set), "High Fidelity," and "Pump It Up"; new arrangements of "Watching the Detectives" and "Clubland"; and a sweet rendition of "Alison" featuring an almost orchestral-sounding horn opening and seamlessly segueing into "Tracks of My Tears." But Costello also picked lesser known tracks off albums ranging from 1980's Get Happy!! to 2004's The Delivery Man.

But it was Toussaint's touch that made the evening so interesting for Costello fans. Toussaint's fresh arrangements renewed such past Costello songs as "Clown Strike" (from 1994's Brutal Youth), "Tears Before Bedtime" (from 1982's Imperial Bedroom), "Deep Dark Truthful Mirror" (from 1989's Spike), "Dust 2..." (from 2002's When I Was Cruel), and "Clubland" (from 1981's Trust). His four-piece Crescent City Horns (Amadee Castenell, Brian Cayolle, Joe Smith and Sam Williams) added new depth and polish to Costello's material, alternately playing a supporting role to biting lyrics, and shining brightly on such pieces as "That's How You Got Killed Before." Particularly notable were "Big" Sam Williams' trumpet trombone solos - aggressive and captivating, conveying the wide range of emotions that were on view during the concert.

From the audience's perspective, it is evident that Costello and Toussaint are two men who truly love music in all its forms. They love to play with melodies, hooks and lyrics. The two performers seem to work seamlessly together, riffing off each other and the horns to create at times an almost improvisational jazz vibe. They also crafted a set list that flowed seamlessly back and forth from old to new. Costello overcame some initial hoarseness and pitch problems on the new arrangement of "That Day is Done" - originally a collaboration between Costello and Paul McCartney - to shine on such songs as "The River in Reverse," "Nearer to You" and "Ascension Day." The Imposters and the Crescent City Horns ably supported and complemented the vocal talents with clear, polished music that projected well through Wolf Trap's superlative sound system.

The specter of Hurricane Katrina hovered over much of the concert, as it does the album, recorded late last year in the wake of the devastation in New Orleans. The new songs excoriate the governmental response to the catastrophe (So count your blessings when they ask permission/To govern with money and superstition) - underscored last night by Costello's characterization of the response to Katrina as being "ably assisted by a handful of jackasses. . .and numbskulls" - while the repurposed Toussaint songs, such as "Tears, Tears and More Tears" and "Who's Gonna Help a Brother Get Further?," evoke the sadness, melancholy and regret felt by the many thousands of New Orleans residents displaced by the flooding. "Oh, Lord, you got to help us find the way," pleads Costello on "Freedom for the Stallion." The mood onstage shifted gears, though, following Toussaint's bluesy rendition of the Three Dog Night hit that he wrote, "Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues)."

Beginning with the urgent and increasingly discordant Bedlam, ending with competing, overlaid horn solos, Costello, the Imposters, and the Crescent City Horns worked the crowd into a frenzy with a jazzy, improvisational feeling version of "Dust 2..." with its signature Wilco-esque keyboard work; a radically different arrangement of "Watching the Detectives" that Costello debuted earlier this year on My Flame Burns Blue, an album recorded with the Metropole Orkest at the North Sea Jazz Festival in the Hague; and rocking versions of "I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down," "High Fidelity," and "Pump It Up."

For the first encore, Costello and Toussaint took to the stage without their backing bands, with Toussaint paying homage to New Orleans blues legend Professor Longhair on the piano, followed by Costello singing "Ascension Day," a new song inspired by Toussaint's minor key variation of Professor Longhair's "Tiptina." The bands then joined the two singers on stage for a mix of songs from The River in Reverse, as well as crowd favorite "Alison/Tracks of My Tears," and a Latin-infused jazzy version of "Clubland."

Nearly two-and-a-half hours after the start of the set, the musicians retook the stage with a fun version of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band's "That's How You Got Killed Before," a swinging, big band-sounding song that features smokin' horn solos from each member of the Crescent City Horns, followed by several Toussaint-penned hits from the 1970s and 1980s - "Yes We Can Can" (popularized by the Pointer Sisters), "Working in a Coal Mine" (a hit for both regular Toussaint collaborator Lee Dorsey and 1980s new wave pioneers Devo), and "Fortune Teller" (recorded by the Rolling Stones and the Who). Finally, the evening closed on a somewhat off note, as Costello tried somewhat unsuccessfully to prod the audience into a sing-along on "The Sharpest Thorn," a new song from The River in Reverse with which the audience was generally unfamiliar. Despite this final misstep, the show was still a standout effort, featuring gems for both the long-time and casual Costello fan. And on a perfect early summer night, this DCist couldn't think of anything she'd like better.

Continue reading "Elvis, Rearranged" »

Posted by PostMaster General at 5:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Ann Arbor News comments -

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.

Posted by PostMaster General at 4:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A Chicago Tribune Web log reports -
(extract)

The frequent knock on Elvis Costello is that he’s a dilettante, meaning that he dabbles in so many styles that you can’t pin the guy down.

Just in the past couple of years he has released an orchestral work (“Il Sogno”), a Southern-flavored rock album (“The Delivery Man”), a live big-band jazz album (“My Flame Turns Blue”) and, out last week, a collaboration with New Orleans songwriter/pianist/producer Allen Toussaint (“The River in Reverse”).

He also toured with country singer Emmylou Harris last year, and he’s been working on an opera based on the life of Hans Christian Andersen.

Who can keep track of all of that? Couldn’t someone just send us e-mails alerting us when he releases real albums – that is, the rock ones?

That’s the negative way to look at it.

The positive way is this:

I just saw him for the twentysomethingth time – playing at Ravinia with Toussaint, the Crescent City Horns, Toussaint’s guitarist Anthony “AB” Brown and Costello’s own backing band the Imposters – and he’s pushed himself at each concert.

I first caught him on the “Imperial Bedroom” tour in 1982 – and I should’ve seen him before that – and 24 years later he has yet to play the nostalgia card, requisite performances of “Alison” and “Pump It Up” notwithstanding. You see Paul McCartney or the Rolling Stones these days, and they’ll flog their new albums briefly, then pretend as if the past 25 years haven’t existed. They take the great leap backward to the songs that made them famous.

It’s a sure sign that the B-52’s will do roughly the same when the flyer for their Aug. 25 Ravinia appearance reads, “America’s greatest party band returns to play your favorites, bringing a unique blend of retro dance-rock that transcends generations.”

Costello did open with “(What’s So Funny ’Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” and included fan favorites “Pump It Up,” “Alison” and “Watching the Detectives,” but he and Toussaint also played the entire new album (a combination of material they wrote after Hurricane Katrina devastated Toussaint's hometown and older, relatively obscure Toussaint compositions that feel freshly relevant) plus deep catalog cuts from both songwriters.

I don’t remember ever seeing Costello play “Tears Before Bedtime,” even on the “Imperial Bedroom” tour (I tried Google-ing for a set list from his 1982 Alpine Valley show, but even the Internet has its limits), and it’s worth noting that Costello preferred to revisit two songs from “The Delivery Man” and another from 2002’s “When I Was Cruel” (“Dust”) rather than to trot out “Veronica” or “Every Day I Write the Book.”

Plus, almost all of the Costello songs had been rearranged with new charts written by Toussaint. Dissonant horns and a trombone solo gave “Watching the Detectives” a crazed ’50s jazz feel, “Poisoned Rose” built to a climax that eclipsed the “King of America” version, and “Clown Strike” swung like it only dreamed of doing in its “Brutal Youth” incarnation.

Costello’s tinkering with his older songs is, in a way, reminiscent of Bob Dylan, whose restlessness has led to an even longer career of relevancy (albeit with some significant stretches of “Huh?”). But Costello’s reinterpretations have never sounded as haphazard as Dylan’s often have – that’s for better or worse; Costello gives the impression that he could give a dissertation on the thinking behind his every little move.

The main point is that if you see Costello or Dylan or Neil Young today, you know you’re going to experience something that’s about now, not yesterday.

And in Costello’s case at least, you know you’ll get your money’s worth.

The stats on Sunday night’s show: 34 songs, 2 hours and 45 minutes, including three encores.

Costello was in soul mode and rock mode – two of my favorites for him – even if Ravinia’s sound system seems wired only for quiet mode: The show sounded great when Toussaint played solo and tinny as an AM radio when the Imposters were at full throttle.

Still, Costello’s longtime bandmates (with a more soul-oriented bassist than his Attractions of yore) may never have cut such indelible grooves, with an assist, of course, from Toussaint’s incredibly nimble playing, the Crescent City Horns’ sassy punctuation and the evening’s unsung MVP, guitarist Brown, who played in the horn section’s shadow but never failed to supply a scratchy rhythm or concise lick to kick each song up a notch.

But by keeping himself constantly stimulated in so many ways, he has managed to continue moving forward when so many others have taken to circling their former selves or stopping altogether. Yes, you need a map to keep track of all of the places he’s visited, but he’s still on the same journey as when I first saw him.

I wish I could say the same about most of my other favorite performers.

Because there must be at least one other reader as geeky about this stuff as I am, here’s the complete set list, as scrawled on a Ravinia flyer. If I got anything wrong, please let me know.

“(What’s So Funny ’Bout) Peace Love and Understanding”
“Monkey to Man”
“On Your Way Down”
“A Certain Girl” (Toussaint lead vocals)
“Clown Strike”
“Tears, Tears and More Tears”
“Poisoned Rose”
“Tears Before Bedtime”
“Broken Promise Land”
“Freedom for the Stallion”
“The River in Reverse”
“Who’s Gonna Help Brother Get Further?” (Toussaint lead vocals)
“Nearer to You”
“Deep Dark Truthful Mirror”
“Bedlam”
“Dust”
“Watching the Detectives”
“I Can’t Stand Up for Falling Down”
“High Fidelity”
“Pump It Up”

(1st encore)

Professor Longhair medley (I’m pretty sure), including “Tipitina” (Toussaint solo at the grand piano)
“Ascension Day” (just Toussaint and Costello)
“What Do You Want the Girl to Do” (T&C)
“Wonder Woman"
“International Echo”
“Alison”
“Working in a Coal Mine”
“All These Things”
“Six-Fingered Man”

(2nd encore)

“That’s How You Got Killed Before” (Dave Bartholomew song)
“Yes We Can Can”
“The Greatest Love”

(3rd encore)

“Fortune Teller” (oldie covered by the Rolling Stones and the Who in their early years)
“The Sharpest Thorn”

Posted by PostMaster General at 4:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The Green Bay Press-Gazette comments -

It took 29 years for Elvis Costello to make a tour stop in Green Bay.

The wait was definitely worth it.

From the moment one of rock's most beloved elder statesmen greeted a revved-up Oneida Casino Pavilion Nights crowd Saturday with "What's So Funny 'Bout (Peace, Love and Understanding)," the tent was all but ready to host a greatest-hits-fueled trip down memory lane.

But even with more than 25 albums to his credit, Costello doesn't do nostalgia — not when he's relevant as ever thanks to latest collaboration "The River in Reverse" with New Orleans R&B legend Allen Toussaint.

With the soft-spoken piano maestro joining late into second song "Monkey to Man," the black-clad Costello officially had his partner in crime for the evening. Together, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame duo proved a match made in music heaven.

But even with the weight of their credentials poised to crush the stage, there was plenty of space to share with backing bands The Imposters and Crescent City Horns — particularly the effervescent "Big" Sam Williams on trombone — who helped bring the show's energy level to ridiculously fun heights on songs as diverse as "Pump It Up" and Toussaint standard "Tears, Tears and More Tears."

And what about that set list?

The bulk of "River" was sprinkled throughout the two-and-a-half hour performance, with "Broken Promise Land," "Freedom For The Stallion" and a memorable sing-a-long to "Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further?" among the early gems. With its stinging chorus of "Wake me up/Wake me up with a slap or kiss/There must be something better than this," the brilliant title track reminded the audience why Costello and Toussaint came together in the first place.

Having declared their musical reunion "one of the few good things" about the "dreadful woman" called Hurricane Katrina, Costello paid appropriate respect to Toussaint and the New Orleans sound he helped establish as a hitmaker in the '60s and '70s. In fact, Costello's enthusiasm to be playing alongside one of his heroes was so apparent, that at times he looked like a little kid finally asked to sit at the big boy's table – which of course, is foolish to anyone who's ever picked up "This Year's Model," "Get Happy" and "Imperial Bedroom."

The night turned especially gritty as Costello covered the breadth of his entire catalog with a murderers row of "Bedlam," "Dust," "Watching the Detectives" "I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down" and "High Fidelity." A first encore brought Toussaint back into the fold with improvised New Orleans-style piano giving way to masterful renditions of "Wonder Woman" "International Echo" "Working in a Coal Mine" and "Alison." Stunningly, two more encores followed, with Costello joking he could "play until 2 o'clock" before wrapping up with pensive closer "The Sharpest Thorn."

One stage, two heavyweights — both with an unparalleled appreciation for music.

Again, the wait was definitely worth it.

( Submitted by Martin Foyle)

Continue reading "It took 29 years for Elvis Costello to make a tour stop in Green Bay." »

Posted by PostMaster General at 2:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

USA Today -
(extract)
Elvis Costello, a serial collaborator who has flitted from jazz to string quartets to Burt Bacharach, has now sidled up to Allen Toussaint. And while the match benefits the underappreciated New Orleans songwriter/producer in terms of exposure, it’s the pop hipster who profits creatively from the odd coupling. Their labor of love has warmth and emotional weight, but it’s Toussaint’s creamy vocals, funkified piano and R&B sensibilities, particularly in Gonna Help Brother Get Further, that makes this River run deep.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer -

The perfect response to the call of Elvis Costello's plain singing is Allen Toussaint's sophisticated piano style.
The emotions within the vocals are echoed with unobtrusive fills, nearly fierce chords and a lyricism seldom found in rock and pop. While Costello is an adventurous gadabout, Toussaint remains one of the geniuses behind the R&B and funk that rose out of New Orleans from the '50s through the '70s. Like Costello, he is a poet with an ear for good hooks. Toussaint's "On Your Way Down" and Costello's "Broken Promise Land" last long after listening to them.

Each contributes their own originals, and several were written together. While the post-Katrina blight is inherent in some tunes, the songwriters' broad palettes set to timeless music create universality. Themes of politics, social ills and romance come together on "The River in Reverse," making it a brilliant set.

Entertainment Weekly -
(extract)

But what truly holds the album together is the ghost of Katrina hovering over it. In its original incarnation, Toussaint's 1970 song ''On Your Way Down'' was a fairly mild put-down; in Costello's hands, it becomes a scalding tongue-lashing, clearly aimed at those responsible for the disaster. With its images of the impoverished and homeless, a buoyant remake of the 1970 tune ''Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further?'' (the only track sung alone by the smooth-voiced Toussaint) feels like it could have been written last August. The same goes for a charged, Attractions-reminiscent run-through of the nearly 40-year-old ''Tears, Tears, and More Tears.''

Costello can still oversing and overwrite: The title track's idiosyncratic melody distracts from his anguished, elegiac lyrics, and he's not a natural soul belter. But even when he threatens to turn baroque, as in ''Broken Promise Land,'' Toussaint rescues him. That newly penned collaboration, with its obvious flood references (''How high shall we build this wall?''), has more musical fits and starts than a jammed highway, but Toussaint's sublime horn arrangement uplifts it. Moments like those are also reminders of what New Orleans once gave to music, and hopefully will again.

The Denver Post -
( extract)

With Costello and Toussaint sharing the songwriting and playing, this album is a shoo-in as a late-career bloom for both music legends. Their collaborations are special, including "Broken Promise Land," an accomplishment as soulful as it is playful, and "The Sharpest Thorn." But the most moving track on this sweeping, gospel-influenced disc is Toussaint's "All These Things," a lush homage to the music of his '60s heyday.

The Observer -

Angry codger Costello and New Orleans veteran Toussaint decided to work together when they met at a benefit gig for the latter's recovering city. The result, recorded there late last year, is this soulful, rocking baker's dozen with backing from the Imposters and a kicking horn section. Toussaint is an amazing pianist and you wish he was more prominent here; only on 'Ascension Day' is he alone to back Costello and the combination is gorgeous. The title track and 'Broken Promise Land' barely conceal barbs for the US government and its response to Hurricane Katrina.

Philadelphia Inquirer-

It's tiring just trying to keep up with everything Elvis Costello's up to - imagine how exhausting it must be to be him. Of all the bespectacled Brit's various and sundry projects, however, The River in Reverse is one worth homing in on. It pools the resources of the prolific songwriter with the great Allen Toussaint, elegant New Orleans songwriter, piano man and producer, author of "Workin' in a Coal Mine," among many others. Recorded in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and produced by Joe Henry, it's made up of six new songs and seven lesser-known Toussaint gems. The elder songsmith's compositions such as "Tears, Tears and More Tears" and "Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further" sound freshly relevant, and new Costello lyrics like those to the title cut and "Broken Promise Land" are fittingly soulful and indignant. A mutually beneficial collaboration, if there ever was one.

Continue reading "It's tiring just trying to keep up with everything Elvis Costello's up to " »

Posted by PostMaster General at 5:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Reviews of River In Reverse

Uncut -
(extract)
The highlight in probably “International Echo”, a new co-written track about the liberating effect of rock’n’roll on kids thousands of miles distant, with characteristic Toussaint piano flourishes and horn figures, and a message worth sending:
“Thought I heard a signal coming through/In a language that I never knew/ I felt the pulse in a drum tattoo/Even though I knew it was taboo.” Me too, and you, I’d warrant.

Q

A proper collaborative effort (five co-written tracks, seven from Toussaint’s rich back catalogue, one Solo effort from Costello), The River In Reverse’s soulful arrangements and warm textures are no surprise. So much so that they paper over the cracks in Costello’s vocal range, bringing out his best croon, particularly on the funeral march of The Sharpest Thorn, the jumping Tears, Tears And More Tears and the title track, a tense, driven piece of controlled anger. Whole theses could be written about the influence of, and influences on, these men. Or you could just listen to this album and hear them all for yourself.

The Guardian ( London ) -
(extract)

Together they perform songs Toussaint penned for Lee Dorsey, Art Neville and Betty Harris, five new co-written numbers and one Costello original, The River in Reverse, which indicts the human disaster behind Hurricane Katrina's natural disaster with characteristically bitter wordplay. It's angry yet affectionate, insinuatingly melodic and solidly in that horn-marinated Big Easy groove. If only the Costello of 1980 was still around to sing it.

Los Angeles Daily News -
( extract)

Falling in love with each Costello album of the last few years is exhausting. But like his last two — "My Flame Burns Blue" and "The Delivery Man" — this one's no weekend fling. In stirring collaboration with New Orleans' r&b singer, songwriter, arranger, pianist and producer Toussaint, Costello is at full strength in this bountiful, well-crafted set of syncopated soul with dark undercurrents.

Among the best of it is Toussaint's beautiful minor key variation of Professor Longhair's "Tipitina," titled "Ascension Day," with touching lyrics by Costello. Another collaborative piece bearing repeated listenings is the lacerating "The Sharpest Thorn," which brings to mind a "This Year's Model"-era Elvis.

Toussaint's signature horn arrangements — think of the Band's "Life Is a Carnival" — add distinctive punch, while a crack studio band clearly favoring feel over frozen perfection reaches near-telepathic levels.

The Daily Telegraph -
( extract)

Backed by a classy band (Costello's Imposters, supplemented by a horn section under Toussaint's direction), they have created a rich, warm, live-sounding concoction that is more than mere tribute. If these are hardly the definitive versions - Costello's sometimes rough, overwrought vocals sitting uneasily with Toussaint's light, funky touch - the album takes flight on a clutch of soulful originals, on which two great songwriters tackle the aftermath of disaster, coming on like punk soul brothers.

Anger and disgust are among Costello's strongest emotional suits, and threatening horns drive him along as he sneers at political betrayal on Broken Promise Land, while Toussaint's delicate piano underpins the hopeless bafflement of Ascension Day.

Los Angeles Times -
(extract)

The opening cut, "On Your Way Down," is anchored in the golden rule as it applies to interpersonal relationships, yet also targets the subject of life's haves versus its have-nots: "You think the sun rises and sets for you / But the same sun rises, sets and shines on the poor folks too."

Toussaint's gently funky "Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further" similarly decries the imbalanced scales of society, while Costello takes his best shot at the powers on high in the title tune. His signature acidic touch emerges in this tale of looming danger: "Count your blessings when they ask permission / To govern with money and superstition."

The undercurrent of anger is balanced in several gospel-tinged numbers, notably "Nearer to You," a waltzing declaration of romantic connection that becomes a fervent spiritual plea in this pair's passionate hands.

Joe Henry's production work is stoutly muscular, full of beefy New Orleans horn backing and Toussaint's deliciously fluid piano work and, on occasion, his honey-soaked singing. It's all draped in a muted sonic cloth that manifests the pervading idea of darkness descending on the land.

In the album's central conundrum, Costello sings, "What do we have to do to send the river in reverse?" This time, there's no answer conveniently blowing in the wind.

Billboard -
(extract)

Though Costello's band the Imposters are the entirely capable rhythm section (and Steve Nieve the standout second keyboardist), the dominant sound on "The River in Reverse" is the familiar sophisticated strut of Toussaint's elegant piano fillips and filigrees. Costello's vocal range is challenged like never before, but his phrasing is always on the money, and Joe Henry's production makes it all sound so natural