In the same month Joe Henry produced Ramblin' Jack Elliott's A Stranger Here, he produced Allen Toussaint's Bright Mississippi with a brilliant cast of musicians and a seemingly random but ultimately well-linked group of songs. It's amazing to me that Joe Henry can produce this many excellent records at this pace and still be a relative unknown. Put him in the same class as Nigel Goodrich or T-Bone Burnett any day.
The stellar acoustic guitar work comes from Marc Ribot, who made his name playing on Tom Waits' Rain Dogs. Nicholas Payton's trumpet playing is the right combination of lazy and technical, making him ideal for any New Orleans jazz record. The best cameo is on a cover of Jelly Roll Morton's "Winin' Boy Blues", a soulful piano duet between Toussaint and Brad Mehldau.
Other essential tracks for modern jazz lovers are the bluesy clarinet take on "Just A Closer Walk With Thee", the uplifting title track, and the stunning cover of Duke Ellington's "Solitude" (one of Ribot's finest moments). This entire album is a joy to hear and a testament to one of the greatest jazz musicians alive.
It's been a great year for the over-60 crowd, and Bob Dylan has a new record on Tuesday. More on that in a few days...
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