Allen Toussaint: The Songwriter Tapes

“We wanted a hit album!” With that, Patti LaBelle says it all about heading to New Orleans to work with songwriter/producer Allen Toussaint, who quietly nurtured countless artists for a half-century, producing hundreds of hits. From 1980-2005, he collaborated with filmmaker Stevenson Palfi, who captured Allen’s tender curiosity and private reflections on songwriting. The film features cameos from LaBelle, Paul McCartney, Robbie Robertson, Rita Coolidge, Glen Campbell, DEVO, The Pointer Sisters, Elvis Costello, and many more. Toussaint never stopped experimenting, relishing the “feeling of the day” that New Orleans gave him and passing it on in his music: “We always came at our own pace, anyway.”

Runtime: 99 minutes

Q&A to follow screening with writer/editor Tim Watson