Allen Toussaint - Artist • Producer • Songwriter (Deluxe Edition) (2023) [Hi-Res]

Without Allen Toussaint, New Orleans' crucial musical transition from blazing 1950s rock and roll to the second-line funk grooves of the '60s might have fizzled out altogether. As the Crescent City's preeminent producer, arranger, composer, and session pianist, his visionary contributions provided the seminal bridge to a new sound for a new decade. Toussaint's creative muse was at its zenith during those carefree days at Minit/Instant and Sansu/Deesu. "It was quite a university," he said. "It was heaven. We had a free rein to try anything, and as much as we wanted to."