[Dixielandjazz] N.O. Songwriter Allen Toussaint has died; Bucky Pizzarelli update

[Norman Vickers]

To: Musicians & Jazzfans list; DJML

From:  Norman Vickers, Jazz Society of Pensacola

 

Brief update on guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli:  Jazz pianist  Russ Kassoff who
is a frequent musical partner with Bucky Pizzarelli  reports that he had a
brief health episode which requires some rehabilitation.  Expectation is
that in a couple of weeks he'll be back on form and will resume is regular
schedule.  Wishing this 89 y.o jazz icon and friend to many of us a speedy
recovery and return to his usual activities.

 

 

Here's news items regarding death of New Orleans songwriter Allen Toussaint:

 

 


WWL-TV Reports: Influential songwriter, producer Allen Toussaint has died

 




Dominic Massa / WWL-TV. November 10, 2015

NEW ORLEANS -  Allen Toussaint, the legendary songwriter, producer, arranger
and performer hailed by the Grammys, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and
musicians and fans worldwide as one of the most influential figures in New
Orleans music, died Monday while on tour in Europe, his family confirmed. He
was 77.

Toussaint was on tour in Spain and died after performing Monday. Having
performed frequently in his hometown over the past several weeks, Toussaint
left last Thursday on a tour that was to include stops in Madrid, Belgium
and London, according to his Facebook page.

Just last week, it was announced that Toussaint and longtime friend Paul
Simon would perform at a Dec. 8 benefit for New Orleans Artists Against
Hunger and Homelessness, a charity he helped create.

Though always soft-spoken, humble and most often preferring to stay behind
the scenes, the list of those who benefited from Toussaint's touch as a
producer and arranger is staggering. It ranges from the 1950s to the present
day: from Irma Thomas, Aaron Neville, Art Neville, Dr. John, the Meters,
Paul McCartney, Joe Cocker and Glen Campbell to the late Ernie K-Doe, Chris
Kenner, Lee Dorsey, Jessie Hill, Benny Spellman and Al Hirt, to name but a
few.

"His greatest contribution was in not allowing the city's old-school R&B
traditions to die out but by keeping pace with developments in the rapidly
evolving worlds of soul and funk. In addition, he brought the New Orleans
sound to the national stage, and it remains a vital and ongoing part of our
musical heritage to this day," proclaimed the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,
which inducted Toussaint as a member in 1998.

Many of Toussaint's songs became familiar not just for their original
versions,s but by cover versions as well, including "Ruler of My Heart,"
"Working in the Coal Mine," "Ride Your Pony," "Fortune Teller," "Southern
Nights," "Get Out of My Life, Woman," "Sneaking Sally Through the Alley" and
"Mother-in-Law." The diverse list of artists who covered Toussaint songs,
all the while holding him in high regard, runs the gamut from The Rolling
Stones, The Who, Jerry Garcia, Robert Palmer and Warren Zevon to The Doors,
Ringo Starr, The Pointer Sisters and Little Feat.

Touring and performing onstage himself was a relatively new facet of
Toussaint's career, mostly a result of his newfound success after Hurricane
Katrina, which devastated his New Orleans home and studio. His stepping into
the spotlight represented a change for the music legend.

"I prefer writing for artists than writing for myself. I get more
inspiration from artists, from other people, than I do myself," he said in a
1998 WWL-TV interview with Hoda Kotb, the year he was honored by the Hall of
Fame.

But after relocating to New York following Katrina, while the piano genius
collaborated with other musicians (notably Elvis Costello and Eric Clapton),
he released CDs of his original work, performed a solo act frequently and
even wrote a ballet. He was nominated for a Grammy award and in 2013, was
honored with the National Medal of Arts, the highest honor given to an
American artist.

"After his hometown was battered by Katrina and Allen was forced to
evacuate, he did something even more important for his city -- he went
back," said President Obama at the award ceremony. "And since then, Allen
has devoted his musical talent to lifting up and building up a city. And
today, he's taking the stage all over the world, with all kinds of
incredible talent, doing everything he can to revive the legendary soul of
the Big Easy."

 

12 for the Road: The legendary Allen Toussaint

Born in 1938 and raised in New Orleans' Gert Town neighborhood, Toussaint
had early musical encouragement from his father and mother, Clarence
Toussaint and Naomi Neville (whose name he later used as a songwriting
pseudonym). He first touched a piano at the age of six, he recalled...

Toussaint is survived by his two children, including his son Clarence, known
as Reginald, and his daughter, Alison, both of whom managed his career in
recent years. He is also survived by several grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

Click here for complete story at WWLTV.com.

 

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