Tonight I am going to the Mainstage in Nathan Phillips Square at Toronto City Hall to see black music legends Mavis Staples and Allen Toussaint. This is part of the Toronto Jazz Festival. It would take a book to detail Allen Toussaint's accomplishments. The short version is he personifies New Orleans R & B. He has produced so many artists and written so many classic songs that it boggles the mind. And he's still doing it today. A good illustration is that his first hit as a producer was the 1960 hit Ooh Poo Pah Doo by Jesse Hill and today he has worked with Hill's grandson Trombone Shorty. And he also appeared in the HBO TV series Treme. He currently records for Nonesuch Records and his latest CD The Bright Mississippi was released last year. Mavis Staples es best known as lead singer of her family group The Staples Singers and of course they had several hits in the late 60s. She currently records for Anti Records and her new CD produced by Jeff Tweedy of Wilco will be released in September. Her impassioned renditions of gospel songs and civil rights anthems has made her a favourite of musicians and fans alike. It should be a great show. I love watching black music legends in action. Here's the video for Eyes On The Prize by Mavis Staples.
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