Allen Toussaint appears on Mountain Stage, recorded live at the historic Keith Albee Theater in Huntington, W.Va. A New Orleans R&B institution, Toussaint has worn every musical hat there is to wear — and, along the way, is as responsible as any one person for that classic Crescent City sound.
As a composer, Toussaint wrote many songs that have become standards in R&B and beyond. As host Larry Groce says in his introduction, "If there's any song that's really cool and you don't know who wrote it, chances are, it was Allen Toussaint." He's also worked with artists ranging from Etta James and Dr. John to Little Feat, Jimmy Buffett, Paul Simon, The Band, Elvis Costello and Joe Cocker. He's backed here by his own road band for an extended set that weaves together some of the best-known songs from his career, including "Southern Nights," "A Certain Girl" and "Yes We Can Can." Renard Poche plays guitar, along with Roland Guerin on bass and drummer Herman LeBeaux.
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