Allen Toussaint

Allen Toussaint was born and raised in a shotgun house in the Gert Town district of New Orleans. His mother provided a welcome place for Allen's friends to come and practice. It meant Toussaint was given plenty of exposure to his peers and gave him the opportunity to move into a highly influential position on the New Orleans R 'n' b scene.
As with many other musicians, Toussaint was driven from the city by Hurricane Katrina. It pretty much blew him to New York, where he continues to reside whilst his house is rebuilt.
Musically it's been fifty years since he cut his debut album, though most of his fifteen plus albums have been delivered since the late sixties. His native sound is never far from him, musically, though recently through sampling, it has also crossed into the world of hip hop. His recording with Elvis Costello, 'Rivers In Reverse' was the first major recording to be undertaken in eth Big Easy post hurricane.
I haven't heard enough of Allen Tousaint to recommend him. I do know that I'll be there, recapturing some memories of a great city.