On account of some book research, I'm on a serious New Orleans music jag so I was happy to receive the latest from the legendary Allen Toussaint. Except for one song, "The Bright Mississippi" (Nonesuch Records) is an all-instrumental exploration of traditional jazz written by greats such as Sidney Bechet, Jelly Roll Morton, Joe Oliver, Django Reinhardt and Duke Ellington. The ace band assembled by producer Joe Henry consists of Don Byron (clarinet), Nicholas Payton (trumpet), Marc Ribot (guitar), David Piltch (upright bass) and Jay Bellerose (drums and percussion). And, of course, Toussaint's magnificent piano anchors the proceedings. It's revelatory to hear Toussaint play in a style other than the rollicking R&B that defined the New Orleans sound in the late '50s and throughout much of the '60s. Plus there are guest appearances by one of my favorite pianists, Brad Mehldau, on Morton's "Winin' Boy Blues," and by tenor saxophonist Joshua Redmon on Ellington and Billy Strayhorn's "Day Dream." The surprise for me was Thelonious Monk's "Bright Mississippi," a song I wasn't familiar with and which seems to be a slight variation of "Sweet Georgia Brown." (It's also reminiscent of "Whipped Cream," which could be a clue as to where Toussaint came up with that song.) This is a beautiful recording that pays respect but also gives new life to traditional jazz.
PS--the outer sleeve of the typically elegant Nonesuch packaging features the above image, shot in New Orleans by the great jazz photographer William Claxton. It's dated 1960, but it could just as well be 1860. Astounding.
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