A healthy affection for the sounds of New Orleans has always been pretty much front and center in the jazzy, boogie-woogie music of pianist and showman Michael Kaeshammer.
On his latest disc, With You In Mind, Kaeshammer pays tribute to a single artist among the many who shaped his musical world: the great R&B composer, pianist and arranger Allen Toussaint. It’s a delightful, enthusiastic and concise (only nine songs in 31 minutes!) homage (Wait’ll you hear Kaeshammer and band sink their teeth into Shoo-Ra and Whirlaway, not to mention to ever-exquisite Ruler of My Heart.)
In the spirit of the project, we asked Kaeshammer to come up with an all-Toussaint playlist for your listening pleasure this week. Here it is, with each title followed by the most well-known artist to have recorded the song.
1. Southern Nights – Glen Campbell
2. Brickyard Blues (Play Something Sweet) – Three Dog Night
3. With You In Mind – Aaron Neville
4. Sneakin Sally Through The Alley – Robert Palmer
5. Mother-In-Law – Ernie K. Doe
6. Back In Baby’s Arms – Allen Toussaint
7. What Is Success? – Allen Toussaint
8. Working In the Coalmine – Lee Dorsey
9. Wrong Number (I’m Sorry, Goodbye) – Aaron Neville
10.My Baby Is The Real Thing – Allen Toussaint
Michael Kaeshammer opens for Emilie-Claire Barlow July 5 at 8 p.m. at Théâtre Maisonneuve of Place des Arts, as part of the Montreal International Jazz Festival. Tickets cost $37.44 to $43.53. Go to pda.qc.ca or phone 514-842-2112. He will also perform his own concert Nov. 1 at 8 p.m. at L’Astral. Tickets for that show are priced at $27.95. Go to ticketmaster.ca
With You in Mind is available now. While we wait for a video to go with it, take a look at Toussaint – with an all-star band - killing it on his classic A Certain Girl, which Kaeshammer covers on the new disc.
Click here to have a listen to Sweet Touch of Love, from With You In Mind.
