Allen Toussaint wows the crowd at New Orleans Jazz Fest

By R. Stephanie Bruno 
on April 27, 2013 at 6:43 PM, updated April 27, 2013 at 6:54 PM

Mr. Music. That's how New Orleans musician, singer, composer and songwriter Allen Toussaint was introduced when he arrived on the Acura Stage at the New Orleans Jazz Fest, and from the crowd's response, the moniker was apt.  The throng jumped to its feet and began swaying, nodding and bouncing up and down as Toussaint exuberantly worked his way through a sampling of his long portfolio of compositions.

The band backing him offered the well-rehearsed, masterful sounds of seasoned musicians. Instruments included a bold horn section -- trumpet, flute, saxophone, and trombone -- accompanied by percussion and guitars. A trio of backup singers complemented Toussaint's vocals when he sang and took over the set when it came to "Lady Marmalade."

"Voulez vous couchez avec moi ce soir?" they teased, and the audience sang along.

Another break in the set came when vocalist and saxophonist Grace Darling joined the band on stage for two songs: One an instrumental on which she dueled with other brass players, the other a song on which she sang a solo. Toussaint signed Darling to his NYNO Records in the late 1990s and she then recorded "Imaginary Lover" on the label.

Read more: http://www.nola.com/jazzfest/index.ssf/2013/04/allen_toussaint_wows_the_crowd.html