New Orleans Film Society

Synopsis

If this film was a fine wine, it might be described as “overwhelming yet delicate.” It profiles Allen Toussaint: musician, songwriter, composer, pianist, and producer. Jill Nicholls, who created this piece for the BBC, effectively gives us a compact history of New Orleans rhythm and blues by tracing the career of this self-effacing genius. Toussaint wrote and produced many of songs New Orleanians lived by: “Think It’s Raining,” “Mother In Law,” “Fortune Teller,” “Java,” and “Ride Your Pony.” We guarantee that no one will watch this film without saying at least once, “Wow, I didn’t know he wrote that, too!” Ms. Nichols has a host of top-shelf musicians telling us why Toussaint means so much to them. What is really rare and special, however, is that she has somehow gotten this quiet man himself to talk about his life and the city he loves.