biography






2009 Grammy Trustees Award Winner
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee
2007 Grammy Nominee with Elvis Costello
Critically acclaimed Nonesuch CD - The Bright Mississippi Out Now
Mojo raves "Jazz albums don't come much better” and gives it 4 stars and according to the New York Times "This is a jazz record for people who think they don't like jazz..."
Collaborations with / Songs covered by Elvis Costello, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Band, Paul McCartney, Jerry Garcia, Phish, Plant / Krauss and scores of others

Bill Frisell, Mavis Staples, Allen Toussaint CDs Recognized Among Best of the 2000's by Downbeat Magazine - Frisell #2 Jazz CD of the Decade Per London Times
December 2009, Rosebud News

CDs by Bill Frisell, Mavis Staples and Allen Toussaint have been recognized among Downbeat Magazine's Best of the 2000's, published in their January 2010 issue. Bill Frisell has four CDs on the list: Ghost Town (2000), Blues Dream (2001), East/West (2005) and History, Mystery (2008). Also honored are Have A Little Faith (2005) by Mavis Staples and Allen Toussaint's GRAMMY nominated The Bright Mississippi (2009). The list also names two historical releases featuring future Rosebud artists: Stax/Volt Revue Live In Norway 1967 DVD featuring Booker T. & the MGs and Newport Folk Festival: Best of the Blues 1959-1968 Box Set, which features performances by Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker, who were both Rosebud artists until their passing.

Bill Frisell's East/West was honored with similar praise from the London Times, where was rated #2 on their "Best Jazz Albums of the Noughties" list.

Catch Bill, Mavis and Allen live on stage, please see    Bill Frisell Tour Dates >>    Mavis Staples Tour Dates >>    Allen Toussaint Tour Dates >>


Allen Toussaint, 2010 GRAMMY nominee, To Be Featured On Austin City Limits and Spectacle with Elvis Costello
December 2009, Rosebud News

Allen Toussaint, nominated for a 2010 GRAMMY for Best Jazz Instrumental Album for The Bright Mississippi, will be featured for the full hour on Austin City Limits airing January 9, 2010 (please check local listings for times here). The program is usually split between two artists but Allen delivered so much great material they have dedicated the full show to him.  

Allen will also be one of Elvis Costello’s guests on the December 23, 2009 episode of Spectacle on the Sundance Channel, playing with Levon Helm, Nick Lowe and Richard Thompson.  Click here for scheduled show times.  This is Allen’s second appearance on the show: he was a special musical guest in the premier episode with Elton John.

Catch Allen live on stage, please see Tour Dates >>


10 Grammy Nominations for Rosebud Artists!
December 2009, Rosebud News

We're thrilled to announce that Rosebud Artists received 10 Grammy nominations for this year's awards taking place on January 31, 2010 in Los Angeles. Artists honored with nominations include Allen Toussaint for The Bright Mississippi (Best Jazz Instrumental Album). Please see the full entry >>

Rosebud has been fortunate in that generally our artists score between 4 and 6 Grammy nominations every year but 10 is definitely a new record and we are Thrilled, especially considering the fact that Rosebud artists only released 14 eligible CDs this past year. Congratulations to all the nominees!


Allen Toussaint and BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet Selected By Offbeat Magazine as the #2 & #3 CDs of 2009
December 2009, Rosebud News

Allen Toussaint's The Bright Mississippi and Alligator Purse by BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet have been selected by Offbeat Magazine as #2 and #3 in CDs of 2009 (see full list). Both albums are critically acclaimed: The Bright Mississippi was hailed by The New Yorker as "A smoldering instrumental collection of jazz standards and Big Easy fare.." The Boston Globe proclaims BeauSoleil "finds freshness not by infusing vintage styles with contemporary sonics but with vibrant, thoughtful fusions."

Also in the Top 40 are Buckwheat Zydeco's Lay Your Burden Down, which is graced by solos from Trombone Shorty, and Rising Sun by Big Chief Monk Boudreaux. The Big Chief will be joining two Rosebud tours: BeauSoleil's 35th Anniversary Tour as well as Marcia Ball and The Voice of the Wetlands All Stars shows, coming to Performing Arts Centers in the 2010-2011 season.

Catch both Allen and BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet live on stage, please see Tour Dates - Allen Toussaint tour dates >>   BeauSoleil tour dates >>


Bettye LaVette & Allen Toussaint Featured In Tributes To Jerry Wexler, Janis Joplin
November 2009, Rosebud News

Bettye LaVette and Allen Toussaint were featured performers in a memorial tribute to Jerry Wexler in New York City on October 30, 2009. Wexler, who coined the term "rhythm and blues," was a legendary producer and executive at Atlantic Records who signed Bettye in 1962 when she was 16. She performed a searing take on Ray Charles' “Drown In My Own Tears.” Allen Toussaint performed his composition “With You in Mind,” with Bonnie Raitt providing vocal support.

Bettye will also be featured performing at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame event, Kozmic Blues: The Life and Music of Janis Joplin on November 14, 2009 in Cleveland, OH. The tribute will be a reflection on the career of Janis Joplin and her impact on rock and roll. Susan Tedeschi, Lucinda Williams, Nona Hendryx, Guy Clark, Ray Benson and more are also featured.

Catch Bettye and Allen live on stage, please see Tour Dates (Bettye Lavette, Allen Toussaint) >>


Allen Toussaint, Trombone Shorty and The Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band To Perform At G20 Summit Reception
September 2009, Rosebud News

Allen Toussaint and Trombone Shorty along with The Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band (with Wilson Savoy sitting in for Marc Savoy) are being featured among the Global Ambassadors of Louisiana Music & Culture who will be performing for leaders from around the globe at a VIP reception during the G20 Summit.  Celebrating a new chapter in America’s leadership on climate change, guests include G20 delegates and diplomats, Obama administration officials and CEOs of environmental, labor and youth organizations.  The event is hosted by the U.S. Climate Action Network and Teresa Heinz and Senator John Kerry are Honorary Hosts.  It will take place at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, PA on September 23, 2009.  President Barack Obama is also scheduled to appear at the event. Both Allen & Trombone Shorty are currently touring.  Keep an eye out for upcoming Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band Tour Dates>>   Allen Toussaint Tour Dates>>   Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue Tour Dates>>


NPR Features Allen Toussaint (American Routes) and Trombone Shorty (World Café)
August 2009, Rosebud News

A live session by Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue will be broadcast Wednesday, August 19, 2009 on NPR‘s World Café Live. To find the show on a station in your area, please click here. Listen to the show live online from 2-4pm EST on 8/19/09 here. After the program airs, it will be available in show's archives here.

Allen Toussaint will be featured on the American Routes radio show Wednesday, August 26, 2009. To commemorate the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, he will be sharing his thoughts on the recovery of New Orleans and his critically acclaimed new album, The Bright Mississippi. To find the show on
a station in your area, please click here. After the show airs it will be archived here.

Catch both Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue and Allen Toussaint live on stage:
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue Tour Dates>>   Allen Toussaint Tour Dates>>


Allen Toussaint Inducted Into Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame
August 2009, Rosebud News

Allen Toussaint
was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame on August 2, 2009. The ceremony took place at the Mother-in-Law Lounge in New Orleans, named after Allen’s hit song written for fellow inductee and founder of the Lounge, the late Ernie K-Doe. Benny Spellman, who also enjoyed hits written by Allen ("Lipstick Traces (On a Cigarette)" and "Fortune Teller") was also inducted. Allen performed "Mother-in-Law" and "A Certain Girl" at the ceremony. The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame is currently a virtual museum, available for viewing online and they plan to open next year in a downtown New Orleans space. Allen’s critically acclaimed new album, The Bright Mississippi, was released in April; he received the prestigious Grammy Trustees Award and participated in the worldwide Grammy broadcast in February. Catch Allen live on stage, please see Tour Dates >>

photo gallery of the show at NPR >>
 
Allen Toussaint's The Bright Mississippi Band: Live At The Village Vanguard Broadcast On NPR
May 2009, Rosebud News

One of the performances by New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint, during a residency at the historic Village Vanguard in NYC from May 19 - May 24, 2009, was broadcast on NPR and is available here. During the run, producer Joe Henry sang “St. James Infirmary” and Elvis Costello was called out from the audience by Allen to sing “Ascension Day,” a song from their Grammy nominated 2006 collaborative album, The River In Reverse.  In The New York Times review of the show, Jon Pareles writes, “No matter what the source, the rendition was poised and light-fingered, without an unconsidered note. And somehow New Orleans was in every phrase, with hints of swing, of humor, of sly sensuality...  It wasn’t a re-creation of old New Orleans music but a reverie on a New Orleans heritage: a lifetime of memories refined by a genteel sensibility that finds the elegance in the blues.”  His critically acclaimed new album, The Bright Mississippi, provided the foundation of the Vanguard performances, which featured most of the players from the recording, except Nicholas Payton, who was filled in for by Christian Scott (trumpet), with Don Byron (clarinet/tenor sax), Marc Ribot (guitar), David Piltch (bass), and Jay Bellerose (drums).  Prior to multiple performances in and around this year’s New Orleans Jazz Fest, Allen was honored in a tribute at the Jazz Fest Foundation Gala, after receiving the prestigious Grammy Trustees Award and participating in the worldwide Grammy broadcast in February.  See Allen live in concert, including stops in Japan and Europe, please see tour dates>>


Rosebud Artists Everywhere At New Orleans Jazz Fest
May 2009, Rosebud News

Rosebud Artists could be found performing in a wide variety of formats during the 40th Annual New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (April 24 - May 3).

Allen Toussaint was feted at the Jazz Fest Foundation Gala, as an all star lineup paid tribute to him in person and on video. This was followed by a rousing set from Trombone Shorty, then Allen performing with an all star band. Later in the week he performed his new CD, The Bright Mississippi, at Snug Harbor where the audience was as enthusiastic as the media has been for the new material. His next stop was The House of Blues where Preservation Hall opened for Allen's high energy set full of hits. The Grand Finale for Allen was a Big Band set, preceding Neil Young's closing set, on the Festival Main Stage..... read full story >>


Allen Toussaint and Trombone Shorty Featured On New Orleans Jazzfest Posters
March 2009, Rosebud News

Allen Toussaint and Trombone Shorty are each featured on the two official posters for the milestone 40th Anniversary New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival this year.

Trombone Shorty is, by about two decades, the youngest artist ever to be featured on the festival poster - quite an honor and an acknowledgement of his already impressive accomplishments and outstanding talent.Allen Toussaint, fresh from an appearance on the 2009 Grammys telecast and recipient of the 2009 Grammy Trustees Award will release, The Bright Mississippi, his first solo album in more than a decade on April 21, 2009. The Fest takes place over the last weekend in April and first weekend in May, 2009.

Past editions of the prestigious Jazzfest poster have featured Louis Armstrong, Professor Longhair, Wynton Marsalis, Mahalia Jackson, Harry Connick, Jr. and the inventor of New Orleans Jazz, Buddy Bolden. Opening day of each year's Festival sees throngs of collectors sprinting for the poster tent and the poster usually selling out before the Festival's end.

For a history of the Jazzfest poster phenomena, please see:
34 YEARS OF MUSIC TO THE EYES:™ A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE JAZZ FESTIVAL POSTER >>
Check out or purchase the posters at:
Art4Now: New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Collectibles On-Line >>

Allen Toussaint and Trombone Shorty will be performing at Jazzfest and around New Orleans during the festival, as well as touring the country and overseas throughout the year, please see tour dates:
Allen Toussaint tour dates >>    Trombone Shorty tour dates >>


Allen Toussaint's The Bright Mississippi, Follows Grammy Honors and Grammy TV Appearance
February 2009, Rosebud News

The Bright Mississippi, Allen Toussaint’s first solo album in more than a decade, will be released by Nonesuch Records on April 21, 2009. Noted producer, Joe Henry, has become a trusted collaborator of Allen's in recent years and he helmed the unique project on which Toussaint reinterprets classic jazz and blues tunes by jazz greats like Jelly Roll Morton, Django Reinhardt, Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, and Billy Strayhorn. Allen's featured band on the disc are guitarist Marc Ribot, bassist David Piltch, clarinetist Don Byron, trumpeter Nicholas Payton, and drummer Jay Bellerose, plus Brad Mehldau and Joshua Redman on one track each. The CD comes close on the heels of Allen's recent high profile presence at the 2009 Grammy Awards where he was a featured interviewee in the Grammy Legends series as part of Grammy week. At the Grammys themselves, Allen was honored with the prestigious Trustees Award and participated in the worldwide broadcast in a segment also featuring Lil Wayne, Terence Blanchard and The Dirty Dozen Brass Band.

Catch Allen live, please see tour dates>>


Grammy Congratulations! Allen Toussaint, The Blind Boys of Alabama, BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Marcia Ball, Bill Frisell, Trombone Shorty, and James Burton
February 2009, Rosebud News

Grammy Congratulations to Allen Toussaint who was awarded the Grammy Trustees Award, performed on the live TV broadcast and was the featured public interviewee Thursday for the Grammys Legends series! Allen's song "Fortune Teller" is also featured on the Robert Plant / Allison Krauss Raising Sand CD - the big winner at the Grammys this year. The Blind Boys of Alabama were honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement award and also won their 5th Grammy for their Down In New Orleans CD. BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet were also Grammy winners for their Live CD from the 2008 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. The Dirty Dozen Brass Band joined Allen Toussaint and Lil Wayne on the Grammy telecast. Also nominated for Grammys were Marcia Ball, Bill Frisell and Michael Doucet for his solo CD. Trombone Shorty was featured on Dr. John's Grammy winning City That Care Forgot and James Burton, who performs in Jim Lauderdale's Dream Payers band, shared the Grammy for Best Country Instrumental for Cluster Pluck. In addition, the Grammys Louisiana luncheon featured appearances and performances from The Blind Boys of Alabama, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Allen Toussaint and Michael Doucet. Congratulations All!


Allen Toussaint Featured On Elvis Costello's Spectacle & New Album Coming Soon
December 2008, Rosebud News

Allen Toussaint is featured in the first episode of Elvis Costello's new Sundance Channel show, Spectacle. The primary guest is Elton John, who says of Allen, "when I meet someone like Allen Toussaint - that for me is like meeting, you know, someone the equivalent of the Dalai Lama because for me, he influenced the way I played the piano, he’s a historical part of rock and roll."

In addition to a show opening duet with Elvis Costello, Allen also performs his song (previously a hit single for Lee Dorsey), "Working In A Coal Mine."

Allen Toussaint also has a new album coming in the Spring on Nonesuch Records (exact release date TBA). The new CD features guests including Nicholas Payton, Marc Ribot, Brad Mehldau, Joshua Redman, and Don Byron. Austin Scaggs already wrote about the new CD in Rolling Stone proclaiming that Allen is a "piano genius" and that "listening to him tickle the ivories is like being whisked away to a hot, lazy afternoon in the French Quarter."

See Allen live in 2009 >>