Costello And Toussaint Put The River In Reverse On New Album

03/27/06 7:00pm

by Phil Villeneuve (CHARTattack)

The long-awaited Elvis Costello/Allen Toussaint collaboration that we told you about in November will make it to CD players on June 6 when River In Reverse is released by Verve Records.

The album, produced by singer/songwriter Joe Henry over two weeks in Hollywood and Toussaint's hometown of New Orleans, is made up of newly written songs from the duo as well as fresh interpretations of classic Toussaint tunes.

Costello and Toussaint wrote "Ascension Day," "The Sharpest Thorn," "Broken Promise Land," "International Echo" and "Sex-Fingered Man" for the album in New York last October. Costello is a longtime fan of Toussaint and chose "Nearer To You," "Tears, Tears And More Tears" and "Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further?" to record from the R&B legend's repertoire.

Costello wrote the title track on Sept. 24, 2005 and performed it that same night at a Hurricane Katrina relief concert called Parting The Waters in New York. The politically charged song puts the U.S. government's mishandling of the hurricane crisis response into question when he sings, "I don't see how it can get much worse/What do we have to do to send the river in reverse?"

The album's full sound was created by Costello's band, The Imposters, comprised of Hammond B3 player Steve Nieve, drummer Pete Thomas and bassist Davey Faragher, as well as Toussaint guitarist Anthony Brown and horn section members Amadee Castenell, Joe Smith, Sam Williams and Brian Cayolle. Costello also played guitar and Toussaint added piano.

The dynamic duo plan to launch an extensive tour in June. But before that begins, Costello and Nieve have symphony dates in San Francisco from now through May. Costello will also appear at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on April 30 alongside Bob Dylan and many others.