Swingadelic – Toussaintville – Zoho Music ZM 2013306, 57:59 [Distr. by Allegro] ****:
(Audrey Welber – alto sax, clarinet; Paul Carlon – tenor sax 5/7/8/10/14, sop. sax; Jeff Hackworth – tenor sax & baritone sax 5/7/8/10/14; John Di Santo – baritone sax; Albert Leusink – trumpet; Carlos Francis – trumpet; Rob Susman – trombone; Rob Edwards – trombone; Neal Pawley – trombone; Boo Reiners – guitar; John Bauers – piano & organ; Dave Post – bass; Jason Pharr – drums; Jimmy Coleman – drums; John Bauers – vocals; Neal Pawley – vocal tr. 5; Queen Esther – vocal tr. 7; Rob Paparozzi – vocal tr. 13 )
New Orleans and music go together like jambalaya, crayfish pie, and filet gumbo. Allen Toussaint is part of that wonderful New Orleans musical tradition and the tight little big band Swingadelic do right by him, with their release Toussaintville.
In this fifteen-track session, which is a delightful mixture of instrumental and vocal offerings, the band demonstrates that it knows its way around the Toussaint song book, giving each track the right amount of funky-soul sound that is evocative of the Big Easy. While not every tune that Toussaint penned was instantly memorable, nevertheless there are many that became hits. One such track is “Southern Nights” on which John Bauers’ vocal captures the essence of the tune. Bauers follows this up with “What Do You Want The Girl To Do” which swings along with heartfelt emotion. Another wicked vocal track is the soulful “Ruler Of My Heart” on which Queen Esther lays bare her feelings.
“Get Out Of My Life, Woman” lets guitarist Boo Reiners and trumpeter Carlos Francis get down and dirty with a solid groove supported by a strong back beat delivered by drummer Jimmy Coleman. In a somewhat more raucous vein “Everything I Do Got To Be Funky “gives trombonists Susman, Edwards, and Pawley a chance to make their own statement. One of Toussaint’s biggest hits was “Whipped Cream” which Herb Alpert took to the top of the charts in 1965. The version offered here is more “whipped” and less “cream”. All in all, the album is a fitting tribute to one of New Orleans’ musical icons.
TrackList: Night People; Southern Nights; What Do You Want The Girl To Do; Yes We Can Can; On Your Way Down; Java; Ruler Of My Heart; Get Out Of My Life, Woman; Sneaking Sally Through The Alley; Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky; Working In A Coal Mine; Whipped Cream; Fairchild; Up The Creek; Mr. Toussaint
—Pierre Giroux
