May 20, 2009
Contact:
Emerson Brown, NPR


   

Allen Toussaint's the Bright Mississippi Band Performs
in NPR Music's and WBGO's
"Live at the Village Vanguard" Series Wednesday, May 20

Concert Webcast Live and Archived at www.NPR.org/music; Broadcast Live on WBGO


May 20, 2009; Washington, D.C. – NPR Music and WBGO/Jazz88.3FM in Newark, NJ, will live broadcast and webcast a concert with Allen Toussaint's The Bright Mississippi Band, from the Village Vanguard in New York City tonight, Wednesday, May 20 at 9:00PM (ET). The complete concert will be streamed live and free and archived at www.NPR.org/music, and broadcast live on WBGO/Jazz88.3FM. During the performance, live photo updates will be posted and the audience can participate in a video chat. All of the concerts in this series are available at NPR.org/villagevanguard

After a career spanning R&B, funk and rock, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Allen Toussaint has made a jazz record – material he says he's always known, but has never recorded himself. The critically well-received The Bright Mississippi is largely instrumental and features selections originally penned by the first wave of New Orleans jazz innovators like Sidney Bechet and Jelly Roll Morton, and classics from the Ellington, Django and Monk songbooks. Toussaint brings that repertoire into the Village Vanguard tonight, with The Bright Mississippi band which includes Christian Scott, trumpet; Don Byron, clarinet; Marc Ribot, guitar; David Piltch, bass; and Jay Bellerose, drums.

The concert is part of NPR Music's and WBGO's "Live at The Village Vanguard" series, which live webcasts monthly concerts at www.NPR.org/music from the legendary jazz venue. The series has already featured trumpeter Tom Harrell and Venezuelan pianist and composer Edward Simon. All concerts are hosted by WBGO's Josh Jackson, who live chats from the club at www.WBGO.org/blog

Upcoming shows in the "Live at The Village Vanguard" series are the Bill McHenry Group on June 10 and the Fred Hersch Trio on July 22.

"Live at The Village Vanguard" is part of NPR Music's popular "Concerts" section, which features hundreds archived concerts and adds more than 15 new performances each month. NPR Music's extensive "Jazz & Blues" section also offers new and archived studio sessions, podcasts, interviews, stories and reviews. The site culls from NPR's and NPR Member stations' extensive music archives to present thousands of features; links connect users with jazz podcasts and the stations' live music streams.