Southern Nights: Allen Toussaint's Final Album To Be Released In June

Southern Nights: Allen Toussaint’s Final Album To Be Released In June

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When Allen Toussaint unexpectedly passed away last November at the age of 77 during a European tour, it was reported that the great producer-arranger-composer-pianist had completed one final album. Nonesuch has confirmed the release of American Tunes on June 10, the culmination of one of the most remarkable careers in popular music.

American Tunes was recorded at two sets of sessions with producer Joe Henry: solo piano at Toussaint’s New Orleans home studio in 2013, and with the rhythm section of Jay Bellerose and David Piltch (joined by guest musicians Bill Frisell, Charles Lloyd, Greg Leisz, Rhiannon Giddens and Van Dyke Parks–in Los Angeles in October 2015. On his solo performances including “Mardi Gras in New Orleans,” “Hey Little Girl” and “Big Chief,” Toussaint pays tribute to his hero at the keys, New Orleans’ Professor Longhair. The album also features band arrangements of songs written and/or popularized by Toussaint (“Delores’ Boyfriend,” “Southern Nights”), Duke Ellington (“Come Sunday,” “Rocks in My Bed,” “Lotus Blossom”), Bill Evans (“Waltz for Debby”), Fats Waller (“(I’m) Confessin’ (That I Love You),” “Viper’s Drag”), Paul Simon (title track “American Tune”), and others.

Toussaint’s children and managers, Alison Toussaint-LeBeaux and Clarence Reginald Toussaint, have commented of American Tunes in Nonesuch’s press release, “Our father approached this project with great care and understanding of the songs selected and paid true homage to Professor Longhair, his musical hero. He wanted to bring as much of the Toussaint touch as he could to these wonderful classics.” American Tunes follows 2009’s The Bright Mississippi, also produced by Joe Henry for Nonesuch, in Toussaint’s discography.

This collection of American classics rendered with the distinctive Allen Toussaint flair will be released on CD, DD and vinyl on June 10. The double-vinyl LP release adds three bonus tracks: renditions of Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer’s “Moon River” and the Professor Longhair pair “Her Mind is Gone” and “Bald Head.” Amazon currently has pre-order links up for the digital edition which you can access below!

Allen Toussaint, American Tunes (Nonesuch, 2016) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada TBD)

Delores’ Boyfriend
Viper’s Drag
Confessin’ (That I Love You)
Mardi Gras in New Orleans
Lotus Blossom
Waltz for Debby
Big Chief
Rocks in My Bed
Danza, Op. 33
Hey Little Girl
Rosetta
Come Sunday
Southern Nights
American Tune
Her Mind is Gone (Vinyl-Only Bonus Track)
Moon River (Vinyl-Only Bonus Track)
Bald Head (Vinyl-Only Bonus Track)

Joe Marchese

JOE MARCHESE (Editor) joined The Second Disc shortly after its launch in early 2010, and has since penned daily news and reviews about classic music of all genres. In 2015, Joe formed the Second Disc Records label. Celebrating the great songwriters, producers and artists who created the sound of American popular song, Second Disc Records, in conjunction with Real Gone Music, has released newly-curated collections produced by Joe from iconic artists such as Johnny Mathis, Bobby Darin, Laura Nyro, Melissa Manchester, Chet Atkins, and many others. He has contributed liner notes to reissues from a diverse array of artists, among them Nat "King" Cole, Paul Williams, Lesley Gore, Dusty Springfield, B.J. Thomas, The 5th Dimension, Burt Bacharach, The Mamas and the Papas, Carpenters, Perry Como, Rod McKuen, Doris Day, Jackie DeShannon, and Andy Williams, and has compiled releases for talents including Robert Goulet and Keith Allison of Paul Revere and the Raiders. Over the past two decades, Joe has also worked in a variety of capacities on and off Broadway as well as at some of the premier theatres in the U.S., including Lincoln Center Theater, George Street Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, and the York Theatre Company. He has felt privileged to work on productions alongside artists such as the late Jack Klugman, Eli Wallach, Arthur Laurents, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. In 2009, Joe began contributing theatre and music reviews to the print publication The Sondheim Review, and in 2012, he joined the staff of The Digital Bits as a regular contributor writing about film and television on DVD and Blu-ray. Joe currently resides in the suburbs of New York City.