New Orleans Jazz Orchestra Songs - The Music of Allen Toussaint

New Orleans Jazz Orchestra
Songs - The Music of Allen Toussaint
Storyville

In recent years, stories about the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra centered on a scandal involving the conduct of its prior director. Now under the artistic direction of drummer Adonis Rose, this important musical institution returns from a three-year recording hiatus with this big band re-imagination of the music of the late New Orleans legendary pianist-songwriter-performer-producer Allen Toussaint. While Some of Toussaint songs have been subject to big band treatment (Joe Williams singing "Get Out of My Life Woman" with the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra half-century ago), this is I believe the first such big band album dedicated to his music.

I am not familiar with many of the musicians here, but besides Rose, pianist Victor Atkins, tenor saxophonist Edward Petersen and trumpeter Ashlin Parker are names I know as well as vocalists Phillip Manuel and Gerald French. Dee Dee Bridgewater is a guest vocalist, and other guests appearing on this include Roderick Paulin on alto saxophone and Jamil Sharif on trumpet. Atkins provides detailed information on each selection and identifies those making specific contributions that will highlight musical voices to keep an eye on.

The big band arrangements here expand on the originals while retaining the spirit of Toussaint's music. Trombonist and vocalist Michael Watson delivers "Southern Nights" that opens as a Brass Brand number before segueing into the more familiar melody. Mike Esnault provided the arrangement, and it does sound like an uncredited tuba driving the bass line. Dee Dee Bridgewater, who suggested this project, sings wonderfully. Victor Atkins stately arrangement of Irma Thomas' hit "It's Raining," with a powerful, imaginative tenor saxophone solo from Ed Petersen. Ed Petersen provided the arrangement for the Lee Dorsey hit, "Working in the Coal Mine," building on the simple groove and chord structure with a group vocal segment and an outstanding alto saxophone solo from Jeronne Ansari. Another Irma Thomas hit, "Ruler of My Heart" places the spotlight on the band's wonderful lady vocalist Nayo Jones who injects her personality in the performance which goes from a ballad to a Latin-tinged second-line groove that takes the song out in Mitch Butler's arrangement.

Ashlin Parker's trumpet is spotlighted on "Java" that is based on Al Hirt's Grammy Award-winning recording with an ensemble trumpet solo based Hirt's playing on an Ed Sullivan show appearance. It is followed by "Gert Town," a non-Toussaint piece that is percussion-heavy, Mardi Gras Indian styled number sung and written by Gerald French. The gospel-tinged "With You In Mind" is performed as a marvelous duet between Phillip Manuel and Dee Dee Bridgewater with a punchy Emily Fredrickson arrangement with a marvelous alto saxophone solo. Another band original, "Zimple Street," was composed by Leon 'Kid Chocolate' Brown and arranged by Ed Petersen, and is a hard-swinging, blues with marvelous piano from Atkins, a hot trumpet solo and a spirited vocal from Brown.

"Tequila' might seem an odd choice to close this recording, but Toussaint did record it on a 1969 album. Here, against the familiar groove, tenor saxophonist Ricardo Pascal robustly solos followed by some robust tailgating trombone by Michael Watson with Victor Atkins laying down some Afro-Cuban rooted piano over the strong percussion. It closes a marvelously entertaining big band album that lets us know the only news the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra is now making is its terrific music.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review appeared in the May-June 2019 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 384).  Here is a teaser for this album.