Album Review - Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint - The River in Reverse
The destruction of New Orleans was caused as much by an act of God as it
was by the inept behavior of the local, state, and federal governments,
and in Hurricane Katrina's aftermath, numerous tragic tales have come to
the fore to reveal some very ugly truths about America's dichotomous
society of haves and have-nots. Despite the recent successes of its
Mardi Gras celebration as well as its world-renowned jazz festival, the
Crescent City unfortunately remains a long way from a full recovery. At
least the French Quarter and uptown neighborhoods were spared the flood
waters that destroyed the poorer communities, thereby supplying a
foundation upon which to reconstruct The Big Easy's tourism industry.
Yet, this is hardly of consolation to the countless refugees, many of
them musicians, who were forced to flee their homes. Among the artists
displaced by the catastrophic collapse of the levees that had kept Lake
Pontchartrain and the Mississippi River in check was the legendary Allen
Toussaint, who resettled in New York City. It was there, amidst a series
of benefit concerts held last September, that he rekindled his
friend****p with Elvis Costello.
Initially conceived as a simple waltz through Toussaint's storied
songbook, The River in Reverse evolved into a far more complex and
powerful statement that candidly addresses the socio-political climate
in which the rampant devastation that followed Hurricane Katrina was
allowed to occur. Although material originally penned for Lee Dorsey,
Betty Harris, and Art Neville still lies at the album's core, the six
new selections -- one tune was composed solely by Costello, while five
pieces were co-written by the duo -- furnish an entirely new context for
the older fare.
This is an excerpt. To read the complete review, please visit:
http://www.musicbox-online.com/reviews-2006/costello-toussaint-theriverinreverse.html
|
