Happy Birthday Allen Toussaint: Covering The Late NOLA Legend Spotify Playlist

Renowned musician, composer, arranger and producer Allen Toussaint was born on this date in 1938. The legend of New Orleans wrote numerous well-known songs that he and many other musicians successfully recorded. Following his death at the age of 77 in 2015, an installment of Saturday Stream was dedicated to the incredible songbook Toussaint left behind. In honor of what would have been his birthday today, below is another 35-song collection of songs written by the late NOLA icon.

Toussaint’s compositions have been recorded and performed live by such an extensive array of musicians that there are no tracks repeated on this Spotify Playlist from the ones making up the previously shared set. Some songs such as “Fortune Teller,” “Sneaking Sally Through The Alley,” “Southern Nights” and “Working In The Coal Mine” appear on both playlists but in each case a different artist is featured. Some musicians including Dr. John, Bonnie Raitt, Robert Palmer, Little Feat, Boz Scaggs and Joe Cocker were included on the first playlist and return here with new Toussaint numbers.

Scaggs can be heard on “What Do You Want The Girl To Do” which Raitt can be heard performing as “What Do You Want The Boy To Do.” For another sampling of different interpretations of a Toussaint composition, “Get Out My Life Woman” is presented by Solomon Burke, Freddie King and the Jerry Garcia Band who can also be heard on a rendition of “I’ll Take A Melody.” Guitarist Johnny Winter also appears twice, as do Scaggs and Palmer.

Others performing songs of Toussaint’s include diverse performers such as Etta James, The Who, Eric Clapton, Paul Simon, DEVO, Glen Campbell, Herb Alpert, Richie Havens, Sly & Robbie and more. Stream the playlist here: