Allen Toussaint to Return to Joe's Pub, 10/6

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, National Medal of Honor for the Arts recipient and GRAMMY Award-nominee Allen Toussaint returns to Joe's Pub at The Public on October 6 at noon to celebrate the release of SONGBOOK (Rounder Records) featuring twenty five of Toussaint's songs captured on CD and DVD and originally recorded at Joe's Pub in 2009. Tickets are on sale now http://www.joespub.com/.

Toussaint's contributions to the American musical canon are considered National Treasures, and as the footage on SONGBOOK shows, witnessing him perform in the intimate Joe's Pub setting is remarkable. Toussaint is just one example of Joe's Pub's commitment to supporting artists at all stages of their careers, from legends to up-and-coming acts all over the world.

Ashley Kahn writes, "The list of those who have benefited in one way or another from Allen Toussaint's touch is staggering in its historic and stylistic range, stretching from the late 1950s to the present day, with no end in sight. His Studio Productions have sold millions of discs and downloads. His catalog of songs has generated hits on the pop, R&B, country and dance charts, and many remain on heavy rotation in various radio formats... This DVD is an important historical document and an overdue personal testament from a musical genius to his fans."

Hurricane Katrina forced Toussaint to reboot his career as a performer after his home and studio were destroyed. In order to recover-financially, musically, spiritually-Toussaint relocated to New York City and began to perform solo concerts, using Joe's Pub as his home base. The series of concerts at Joe's Pub were met with a groundswell of support that led to the filming and recording of SONGBOOK. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit: http://bit.ly/155RSlp

Allen Toussaint (born January 14, 1938) is an American musician, songwriter and record producer and one of the most influential figures in New Orleans R&B. Allen Toussaint has crossed many paths in his illustrious 40 years plus career in music. He has produced, written for, arranged, had his songs covered by, and performed with music giants The Judds, Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Elvis Costello, Patti LaBelle, Mac "Dr. John" Rebennack, Aaron and Art Neville, Joe Cocker, The (original) Meters, Glen Campbell, The Band, Little Feat, The Rolling Stones, Devo, Ernie K-Doe, Lee Dorsey, Irma Thomas, Etta James, Ramsey Lewis, Eric Gale and the countless others. His songs/productions have been featured in numerous films, including but not limited to, Casino, Moulin Rouge, and Maid in Manhattan. He served as musical director for the off Broadway play, Staggerlee, which won the prestigious Outer Circle Critics Award. For more information, please visit http://allentoussaint.com/.