Allen Toussaint, āAmerican Tunesā (Nonesuch)
Allen Toussaint finished recording āAmerican Tunesā just weeks before his death in November, an elegant and fitting adieu from the New Orleans master.
Solo piano versions of tunes from the Professor Longhair canon like āMardi Gras in New Orleansā and āHey Little Girlā sand down the edges without sacrificing passion and Toussaint shows how deeply rooted he was in that tradition which he both inherited and expanded.
Accompanied by the likes of saxophonist Charles Lloyd and guitarist Bill Frisell, Toussaint also hits the mark with fresh interpretations of compositions by the likes of Duke Ellington, Bill Evans, Billy Strayhorn and Fats Waller.
Rhiannon Giddens adds stately vocals to a pair of Ellington tracks while Van Dyke Parksā piano skills help Toussaint turn his own āSouthern Nightsā into something Hoagy Carmichael could have played for Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall on āTo Have and Have Not.ā
On āWaltz for Debby,ā Toussaint, bassist David Piltch and drummer Jay Bellerose replace Bill Evansā oom-pah-pah tempo with some Latin grooves ā put it on ārepeatā and you wonāt stop smiling.
The album closes with Paul Simonās title track, the last song of the sessions and Toussaint¶¶Ņõap only vocal. Knowing it¶¶Ņõap a farewell, every line gains poignancy ā from āIām just weary to my bonesā to āAnd I dreamed that my soul rose unexpectedlyā ā even as his singing remains suitably understated.
Toussaint makes a fine final impression on āAmerican Tunes,ā a repertoire as rich as his own contributions to music over a nearly 60-year career.
