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Elvis Costello started out as a punk, but he's evolved into a musical omnivore who'll team up with almost anyone. You half expect to find him crooning with Il Divo on his next CD.
But none of his past collaborations turned out as splendidly as The River in Reverse, his post-Katrina partnership with New Orleans R&B legend Allen Toussaint. Of all the albums that have come out of Louisiana since the flood, few capture the sorrow and rage as well as this one does.
The two have been friends since the '80s, when Mr. Toussaint played piano on Mr. Costello's Spike. After the storm, they met up in New York City for a string of Katrina benefit shows and then went to New Orleans, where Mr. Costello witnessed the carnage firsthand.
The result is some the angriest lyrics of his career. "Broken Promise Land" and the foreboding title track portray New Orleans as a modern-day Jericho, a city full of ruins, lies and alibis. He doesn't name names, but "Six Fingered Man" sounds like it's aimed directly at Mayor Ray Nagin.
Mr. Costello and Mr. Toussaint wrote six new songs for the CD, but some of the most poignant tracks are old Touissant songs that take on new meaning, such as "Tears, Tears and More Tears" and "Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further?" But the high point is "On Your Way Down," written in 1972 but now an indictment of all the corrupt politicians who left New Orleans a disaster waiting to happen.
Mr. Toussaint only sings lead on one tune ("Brother"), and the disc could benefit from more of his high, sweet voice. But he shapes the CD in other ways namely, rollicking piano and brilliant horn arrangements that recall his classic work in the '60s with Ernie K-Doe and Aaron Neville.
Given Mr. Toussaint's status as one of R&B's greatest producers, it's a shame he didn't produce this album. But he and Mr. Costello found a kindred spirit in Joe Henry, a rocker with a heart of soul who produced recent gems for Solomon Burke and Bettye LaVette. Mr. Henry lets the song's mood dictate the sound: raw and rowdy one moment, sad and elegant the next.
That's also the way Mr. Costello sings, although it's the softer moments where he really shines. In the past, he's bogged down ballads with over-singing and fake sobbing. This time, with a real-life tragedy to sing about, he wisely tones down the melodrama and turns in one of the finest vocal performances of his career.
E-mail tchristensen@dallasnews.com
Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint
Grade: A-
The River in Reverse
(Verve/Forecast)
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