Allen Toussaint says he'd rather let his piano do the talking. Lucky for us.
Toussaint's fingers have done the talking on song after song for more than 50 years, defining the modern-day New Orleans sound. He's written, produced and arranged chart-topping hits for scores of artists. And lately, Toussaint has been performing his catalog more often around the world.
This week, Allen Toussaint has plenty to say to Music Inside Out. Check out his major chords. And the minor ones too.
Music Playlist
Classified
James Booker
It's A New Orleans Thing
Allen Toussaint
Life
Allen Toussaint
Solitude (Ellington)
Allen Toussaint
On Your Way Down
Allen Toussaint
Paperback Writer
The Beatles
Transition
Lou Johnson
Southern Nights
Allen Toussaint
Happiness
Allen Toussaint
Brickyard Blues
Allen Toussaint
Ascension Day
Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint
Ascension Day (excerpts)
Allen Toussaint
Delores' Boyfriend
Allen Toussaint
Classified
James Booker
To say that Toussaint's work has been wide-ranging is an understatement. Here's just a partial discography of his work. The links are to the online music streaming services Spotify and MOG.
Songwriter:
Mother-in-Law — Listen on Spotify | Listen on MOG
Ruler of My Heart — Spotify | MOG
Working in a Coal Mine — Spotify | MOG
Ride Your Pony — Spotify | MOG
Night People — Spotify | MOG
Sneaking Sally Through the Alley — Spotify | MOG
Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky (From Now On) — Spotify | MOG
Southern Nights — Spotify | MOG
Lipstick Traces (on a Cigarette) — Spotify | MOG
Yes, We Can Can — Spotify | MOG
Fortune Teller — Spotify | MOG
Java — Spotify | MOG
Tears, Tears and More Tears — Spotify | MOG
What is Success? — Spotify | MOG
Lady Marmalade — Spotify | MOG
What Do You Want the Girl to Do? — Spotify | MOG
Get Out of My Life Woman — Spotify | MOG
Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues) — Spotify | MOG
A Certain Girl — Spotify | MOG
From a Whisper to a Scream — Spotify | MOG
Whipped Cream — Spotify | MOG
Collaborations as producer, arranger and/or featured performer:
Fats Domino
Out of New Orleans (1993)
Alligator Alley (1958)
Irma Thomas
Ruler of Hearts (1989)
The Way I Feel (1988)
Single: It's Raining — Spotify | MOG
Single: Ruler of My Heart — Spotify | MOG
Dr. John
The Definitive Pop Collection (2006)
The Very Best of Dr. John (1995)
Mos' Scocious: Anthology (1993)
The Ultimate Dr. John (1987)
Desitively Bonnaroo (1974)
In the Right Place (1973)
Single: Right Place Wrong Time — Spotify | MOG
Earl King
New Orleans Blues (2005)
Street Parade (1981)
Single: Street Parade — Spotify | MOG
Clarence "Frogman" Henry
Ain't Got No Home: The Best of Clarence "Frogman" Henry (1994)
Aaron Neville
Mojo Soul (2006)
Ultimate Collection (2001)
The Classic Aaron Neville (1990)
Cyril Neville
New Orleans Cookin' (2000)
Jessie Hill
Y'All Ready Now … Plus (1987)
Single: Ooh Poo Pa Doo — Spotify | MOG
The Meters
Kickback (2001)
The Very Best of the Meters (1999)
Uptown Rulers: The Meters Live on the Queen Mary (1992)
Good Old Funky Music (1990)
Fire on the Bayou (1975)
Look-Ka Py Py (1970)
Struttin' (1970)
The Meters (1969)
Single: Look-ka Py Py — Spotify | MOG
Single: Chicken Strut — Spotify | MOG
The Neville Brothers
The Very Best of the Neville Brothers (1997)
Treacherous Too: A History of the Neville Brothers, Vol. 2 (1955-1987) (1991)
Treacherous: A History of the Neville Brothers (1955-1985) (1986)
Lee Dorsey
Holy Cow!: The Very Best of Lee Dorsey (2006)
Yes We Can, Night People (2005)
Lee Dorsey (Pickwick) (1995)
Yes We Can and Then Some (1993)
Night People (1978)
Yes We Can (1970)
Ride Your Pony (1966)
The New Lee Dorsey (1966)
Working in The Coal Mine (1966)
Single: Workin' in The Coal Mine — Spotify | MOG
Single: Ride Your Pony — Spotify | MOG
Single: Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky — Spotify | MOG
Ernie K-Doe
Absolutely the Best (2001)
Single: Mother in Law — Spotify | MOG
Single: A Certain Girl — Spotify | MOG
The Wild Tchoupitoulas
The Wild Tchoupitoulas (1976)
Single: Brother John — Spotify | MOG
Single: Meet de Boys on the Battlefront — Spotify | MOG
Single: Hey Pocky A-Way — Spotify | MOG
Johnny Adams
The Tan Canary: New Orleans Soul 1973-1981 (2007)
New Orleans Rhythm & Blues Vol.1 (1995)
Greatest Performances (1993)
Smiley Lewis
Shame, Shame, Shame (1993)
Single: The Bells Are Ringing (a 1965 release)
Sonny Landreth & Bayou Rhythm
South of I-10 (1995)
Single: Great Gulf Wind — Spotify | MOG
Trombone Shorty
Backatown (2010)
Single: On Your Way Down — Spotify | MOG
James Andrews
Satchmo of the Ghetto (1998)
Chocolate Milk
We're All in this Together/Milky Way (2010)
Ice Cold Funk: The Greatest Grooves of Chocolate Milk (1998)
Milky Way (1979)
Comin' (1977)
Action Speaks Louder than Words (1975)
Single: Action Speaks Louder than Words — Spotify | MOG
Galactic
Yakamay (2010)
Single: Bacchus — Spotify | MOG
Marva Wright
After the Levees Broke (2007)
Single: The Levee is Breaking Down — Spotify | MOG
Walter "Wolfman" Washington
New Orleans Rhythm & Blues Vol.2 (1995)
James Rivers
New Orleans Rhythm & Blues Vol.3 (1995)
Deacon John Moore
Jump Blues (2003)
Single: Let the Good Times Roll/Feel So Good
Single: Losing Battle — Spotify | MOG
Amadee Castanell, Jr.
Sax Dreams (1999)
Amadee (1996)
Oliver Morgan
I'm Home (1998)
Single: Honey, I'm Home
Frankie Miller
The Very Best of Frankie Miller (1993)
Frankie Miller's High Life (1974)
Albert King
The Heat of the Blues (2007)
Tomato Years (1994)
The Ultimate Collection (1993)
New Orleans Heat (1978)
Single: Get Out of My Life Woman — Spotify | MOG
Patti LaBelle
Nightbirds/Phoenix/Chameleon (2009)
The Essential Patti Labelle (2008)
The Definitive Collection (2006)
Gold (2005)
It's Alright With Me/Released (2001)
Love Songs (2001)
Something Silver (1997)
Greatest Hits (MCA) (1996)
Lady Marmalade: The Best of Patti and Labelle (1995)
The Best of Patti Labelle (Epic) (1982)
Phoenix (1975)
Single: Lady Marmalade — Spotify | MOG
Ramsey Lewis
The Electric Collection (1981)
Routes (1980)
Etta James
Changes (1980)
Paul McCartney
Goin' Home, A Tribute to Fats Domino
Single: I Wanna Walk You Home
Venus and Mars (1975)
The Band
A Musical History (2005)
The Last Waltz (Rhino Box Set) (2002)
The Last Waltz (1978)
Rock of Ages (1972)
Cahoots (1971)
Single: Life is a Carnival — Spotify | MOG
Single: The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down — Spotify | MOG
Single: Rag Mama Rag — Spotify | MOG
Levon Helm
Electric Dirt (2009)
Single: Tennessee Jed — Spotify | MOG
Eric Clapton
Clapton (2010)
Single: My Very Good Friend the Milkman — Spotify | MOG
Single: When Somebody Thinks You're Wonderful — Spotify | MOG
Elvis Costello
Hot As a Pistol, Keen As a Blade (2006)
Extreme Honey: The Very Best of the Warner Brothers Years (1997)
Spike (1989)
Out of Our Idiot (1987)
Single: Deep Dark Truthful Mirror — Spotify | MOG
Madeleine Peyroux
Standing on the Rooftop (2011)
Single: Ophelia — Spotify | MOG
Joan Osbourne
Bring it On Home (2012)
Single: Shoorah! Shoorah! — Spotify | MOG
Paul Simon
Songwriter (2011)
The Studio Recordings 1972-2000 (2004)
Paul Simon 1964/1993 (1993)
There Goes Rhymin' Simon (1973)
Single: Kodachrome — Spotify | MOG
Little Feat
Hoy-Hoy! (1981)
Phoebe Snow
Rockaway (1981)
Cyndi Lauper
Memphis Blues (2010)
Single: Early in the Mornin' — Spotify | MOG
Steve Earle
I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive (2011)
Single: This City — Spotify | MOG
Jimmy Buffet
Encores: Live (2010)
Joe Cocker
Gold (2006)
The Anthology (1999)
Luxury You Can Afford (1978)
Single: Fun Time — Spotify | MOG
