Buffalo News, July 9, 2006: Difference between revisions
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<center> Jeff Miers </center> | <center> Jeff Miers </center> | ||
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''' | '''Elvis Costello & The Imposters '''with <br> | ||
'''Allen Toussaint & The Crescent City Horns <br> | |||
Avalon Ballroom, Fallsview Casino Resort | |||
{{Bibliography text}} | {{Bibliography text}} | ||
NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. — There are ways to acknowledge tragedy, to shine a light on suffering, that seem forced and, at their worst, opportunistic. Then there is the musical marriage of English pop maestro/renaissance man Elvis Costello and legendary New Orleans soul / R&B composer, arranger and pianist Allen Toussaint. That relationship crystallized around their post-Katrina celebration of N'Awlins soul, ''The River in Reverse'', and the subsequent concert tour supporting the album, which brought Costello, Toussaint, and their musical collaborators to the Avalon Ballroom for the first of two nights on Friday. | NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. — There are ways to acknowledge tragedy, to shine a light on suffering, that seem forced and, at their worst, opportunistic. Then there is the musical marriage of English pop maestro/renaissance man Elvis Costello and legendary New Orleans soul / R&B composer, arranger and pianist Allen Toussaint. That relationship crystallized around their post-Katrina celebration of N'Awlins soul, ''The River in Reverse'', and the subsequent concert tour supporting the album, which brought Costello, Toussaint, and their musical collaborators to the Avalon Ballroom for the first of two nights on Friday. | ||
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Toussaint penned new arrangements and horn parts for several Costello classics, notably the poetic, piano-led masterpiece from Costello's late-'80s tour de force ''Spike'', "Deep Dark Truthful Mirror," which was simply (and snarlingly) sublime. "Poisoned Rose," another impeccable ballad, this time from the ''King of America'' album, was also given a fresh arrangement, courtesy of Toussaint, who wrapped Costello's eloquent vocal and acoustic guitar in tasteful horn harmonies. | Toussaint penned new arrangements and horn parts for several Costello classics, notably the poetic, piano-led masterpiece from Costello's late-'80s tour de force ''Spike'', "Deep Dark Truthful Mirror," which was simply (and snarlingly) sublime. "Poisoned Rose," another impeccable ballad, this time from the ''King of America'' album, was also given a fresh arrangement, courtesy of Toussaint, who wrapped Costello's eloquent vocal and acoustic guitar in tasteful horn harmonies. | ||
Costello the singer pushed himself to considerable heights when singing Toussaint's tunes. "Nearer to You" found him reaching for — and hitting, dead-on — high notes, blending jazzlike phrasing with old-school gospel, and it was pretty much mind-blowing. "On Your Way Down" was French Quarter soul of the highest degree, and Costello really wrung the sponge of every drop of emotion, while the band — particularly Toussaint guitarist Anthony "AB" Brown, who was so deep in the pocket, it's a wonder he ever found his way out again — swung with agility and grace. "Tears, Tears and More Tears" was another corker, sung with complete, full-throated commitment by Costello, and bolstered by vigorous kicks from the horns. Toussaint took the lead vocal on his own barn-burner, "A Certain Girl," which brought the audience to its feet. Another Toussaint spotlight, "Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further?" tied the man's street-savvy funk to the evening's recurring references to class and race warfare, which was wrapped beneath the post-Katrina New Orleans umbrella most ably and passionately by Costello, as he intoned the title song of "The River in Reverse," which was the evening's highest high point. | Costello the singer pushed himself to considerable heights when singing Toussaint's tunes. "Nearer to You" found him reaching for — and hitting, dead-on — high notes, blending jazzlike phrasing with old-school gospel, and it was pretty much mind-blowing. "On Your Way Down" was French Quarter soul of the highest degree, and Costello really wrung the sponge of every drop of emotion, while the band — particularly Toussaint guitarist Anthony "AB" Brown, who was so deep in the pocket, it's a wonder he ever found his way out again — swung with agility and grace. | ||
"Tears, Tears and More Tears" was another corker, sung with complete, full-throated commitment by Costello, and bolstered by vigorous kicks from the horns. Toussaint took the lead vocal on his own barn-burner, "A Certain Girl," which brought the audience to its feet. Another Toussaint spotlight, "Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further?" tied the man's street-savvy funk to the evening's recurring references to class and race warfare, which was wrapped beneath the post-Katrina New Orleans umbrella most ably and passionately by Costello, as he intoned the title song of "The River in Reverse," which was the evening's highest high point. | |||
New Orleans might have been abandoned by those whose job it was to help it, as Costello (like so many other high-profile rock composers and musicians, from Bruce Springsteen to Dr. John) has suggested, but its greatest gift to our country — the music that we call our own and offer to the world — is clearly alive and well. Costello, Toussaint and their collaborators offered us a glorious evening celebrating that fact. | New Orleans might have been abandoned by those whose job it was to help it, as Costello (like so many other high-profile rock composers and musicians, from Bruce Springsteen to Dr. John) has suggested, but its greatest gift to our country — the music that we call our own and offer to the world — is clearly alive and well. Costello, Toussaint and their collaborators offered us a glorious evening celebrating that fact. | ||
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{{tags}}[[Concert 2006-07-07 Niagara Falls|Avalon Ballroom]] {{-}} [[Fallsview Casino Resort]] {{-}} [[Niagara Falls]] {{-}} [[ON|Ontario]] {{-}} [[Canada]] {{-}} [[Allen Toussaint]] {{-}} [[The Imposters]] {{-}} [[The Crescent City Horns]] {{-}} [[The River In Reverse]] {{-}} [[Nick Lowe]] {{-}} [[(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding?]] {{-}} [[Steve Nieve]] {{-}} [[Pete Thomas]] {{-}} [[Davey Faragher]] {{-}} [[Spike]] {{-}} [[Deep Dark Truthful Mirror]] {{-}} [[Poisoned Rose]] {{-}} [[King Of America]] {{-}} [[Nearer To You]] {{-}} [[On Your Way Down]] {{-}} [[Anthony "AB" Brown]] {{-}} [[Tears, Tears And More Tears]] {{-}} [[A Certain Girl]] {{-}} [[Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further?]] {{-}} [[The River In Reverse (song)]] {{-}} [[Bruce Springsteen]] {{-}} [[Dr. John]] | |||
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{{Bibliography notes}} | {{Bibliography notes}} | ||
{{Bibliography next | {{Bibliography next | ||
|prev = Buffalo News, | |prev = Buffalo News, August 19, 1982 | ||
|next = Buffalo News, May 2, 2008 | |next = Buffalo News, May 2, 2008 | ||
}} | }} | ||
'''Buffalo News, | '''Buffalo News, July 9, 2006 | ||
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[[Jeff Miers]] reviews Elvis Costello & [[The Imposters]] with [[Allen Toussaint]] and [[The Crescent City Horns]], Friday, [[Concert 2006-07-07 Niagara Falls|July 7, 2006]], Avalon Ballroom, Fallsview Casino Resort, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. | [[Jeff Miers]] reviews Elvis Costello & [[The Imposters]] with [[Allen Toussaint]] and [[The Crescent City Horns]] and [[Anthony "AB" Brown]], Friday, [[Concert 2006-07-07 Niagara Falls|July 7, 2006]], Avalon Ballroom, Fallsview Casino Resort, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. | ||
{{Bibliography images}} | |||
[[image:2006-07-09 Buffalo News page B4 clipping 01.jpg|380px]] | |||
<br><small>Clipping.</small> | |||
<small>Photo by [[Robert Kirkham]].</small><br> | |||
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<small>Page scan.</small><br> | |||
[[image:2006-07-09 Buffalo News page B4.jpg|x120px]] | |||
{{Bibliography notes footer}} | {{Bibliography notes footer}} | ||
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*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Buffalo_News Wikipedia: The Buffalo News] | *[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Buffalo_News Wikipedia: The Buffalo News] | ||
*[http://elviscostello.info/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=5229 Elvis Costello Fan Forum] | *[http://elviscostello.info/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=5229 Elvis Costello Fan Forum] | ||
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[[Category:Bibliography]] | [[Category:Bibliography]] | ||
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[[Category:Buffalo News| Buffalo News 2006-07- | [[Category:Buffalo News| Buffalo News 2006-07-09]] | ||
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[[Category:2006 concert reviews]] | [[Category:2006 concert reviews]] | ||
[[Category:2006 US Tour|~Buffalo News 2006-07- | [[Category:2006 US Tour|~Buffalo News 2006-07-09]] |
Latest revision as of 17:55, 4 February 2023
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