Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Spring 2006 - (Page 94) SOUND ADVICE music reviews by Ben Sandmel Alive and Kicking The storms of 2005 trigger an equally powerful surge of music Serendipity has been scarce indeed amid the wreckage of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. But one bittersweet result — happy would be too strong a word — is a torrent of strong new releases both by Louisiana musicians and in honor of them. One especially pleasant surprise is Fats’ Domino’s Alive and Kickin’ (Tipitina’s Foundation), an assortment of songs recorded primarily during the ‘90s. Domino did not release any of them at the time, and he might never have chosen to do so under normal circumstances. They appear now as a fundraiser for the Tipitina’s Foundation, one of several highly effective relief organizations based in New Orleans. Domino originally wrote the title track as a personal statement, but it now serves as a regional metaphor for survival: “All over the country, people want to know, whatever happened to Fats Domino, but I’m alive and kickin’ ” Domino sings these lines with evident satisfaction. The album combines such new songs with rerecordings of some of his classics, almost all of which find him playing and singing in fine, ebullient form. Today, a decade after it was recorded, Domino still sounds just as good, at age 78, and remarkably similar to his first recordings from 1949. Domino’s rooftop rescue was a media event within the media event of Hurricane Katrina. As the storm’s aftermath drags on, the release of a new album by this beloved figure is bound to bring some cheer to Domino’s beleaguered city. On a related note, his first full-length biography — Blue Monday: Fats Domino and the Lost Dawn of Rock ‘n’ Roll, by Rick Coleman — will be published soon by DaCapo Press. Like Fats Domino, the equally iconic Allen Toussaint lost his home to Katrina. Toussaint evacuated to New York, preceded by his vast acclaim as a songwriter, pianist, producer, arranger and vocalist. He soon became busy with various high-profile relief events and recording projects, including a striking collaboration with the British songwriter Elvis Costello that will appear later this year. Toussaint’s performances are also among the highlights on Our New Orleans (Nonesuch), a compilation of newly commissioned recordings by local and regional artists. Toussaint’s song Allen Toussaint is among themusicians featured on Our New Orleans, a compilation of newly commissioned recordings in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. photograph by Syndey Byrd 94 LOUISIANA ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES\Spring 2006
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