From A Whisper To A Scream (Import) (CD)

Allen Toussaint is a towering figure in the musical history of New Orleans. As a pianist, producer, arranger, songwriter, and A&R man, the ubiquitous Toussaint had a hand in countless 1960s and '70s hits by New Orleans musicians. He emerged as a solo artist in the '70s, the decade in which his song "Southern Nights" went to number one for Glen Campbell. Toussaint stood as a figure of hope after 2005's Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans; his collaborative album with Elvis Costello shortly thereafter was the first major work recorded in the city after the disaster.

• Category:  Music  »  R&B  »  New Orleans R&B
• Format: CD   Learn more about the CD format using Tower WIKI.
• Release Date: September 5, 1994
• Label: Kent (UK)
• UPC: 029667203623
• WAPI (Tower ID): 106651572
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• Tower.com Sales Rank: #110786 in Music (See Top 100 Music Bestsellers)
• #5455 in R&B (See Top 100 R&B Bestsellers)
• #86 in New Orleans R&B (See Top 100 New Orleans R&B Bestsellers)

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Personnel: Allen Toussaint (vocals, piano, keyboards); Mac Rebennack (guitar, organ); Terry Kellman (guitar); Earl Turbinton (alto saxophone); Fredric Kemp (tenor saxophone); Clyde Kerr (trumpet); Ed Greene, Fred Staehle, John Boudreaux (drums); Merry Clayton, Venetta Fields (background vocals).

Recording information: Dimension Sound Studios, Los Angeles, CA.

Arranger: Allen Toussaint.

Kent Soul has done an exceptional job in remastering and reissuing Allen Toussaint's classic sophomore long-player -- which was known simply as Allen Toussaint -- and the "bonus" selection, a vocal-less blues-meets-funk titled "Number Nine." When these songs first surfaced circa 1970, Toussaint (piano/vocals) had become a decade-long veteran of the New Orleans' Crescent City soul movement. Under his own name as well as the pseudonym of Naomi Neville, he was a composer, producer, and even a recording session musician. He left a trail of influential R&B titles that would resound back across the pond in the form of cover versions by the likes of the Rolling Stones ("Pain in My Heart"), the Yardbirds ("A Certain Girl"), and the Who ("Fortune Teller"), along with countless others. Toussaint's uncanny musical malleability resulted in a diverse yet solid second solo outing. He is supported by Mac Rebennack (organ/guitar) (aka Dr. John), Terry Kellman (guitar), Eddie Hohner (bass), Freddie Staehle (drums), John Boudreaux (drums), Clyde Kerr (trumpet), Earl Turbinton (alto sax), and none other than Merry Clayton (backing vocals) and Venetta Fields -- perhaps the most in demand studio voices of the rock & roll era. The dramatic "From a Whisper to a Scream" perfectly captures the synergy existing between Toussaint's ultra cool delivery and the understated yet piercing lyrical indictment. Other highlights include the pop-oriented, upbeat, and classy "Sweet Touch of Love," the author's interpretation of "Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky" and "Working in the Coalmine." The latter pair were likewise formerly charting sides Toussaint had inked for vocalist Lee Dorsey. Looking forward to the ensuing years, Toussaint garnered sizable clout for providing Bonnie Raitt with "What Is Success." The instrumentals "Either" and "Louie" foreshadow the type of stylish no-nonsense soul that informed his collaborations with the Meters. "Pickles" on the other hand is comparatively jazzier and doused in the revelry of Mardi Gras, complete with a catchy call-and-response. Finally, Toussaint's masterful touch and craftsman-like imprint is evident on the uplifting take of Vince Guaraldi's "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" as he explores alternate textures that lead the melody to some memorable places. While his mid-'70s platters for Warner Brothers may have provided him with additional exposure, this is a sonic touchstone worth repeated examinations. ~ Lindsay Planer

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