RADIO ON THE TV: SPECTACLE WITH ELVIS COSTELLO

I've been wanting to check out Elvis Costello's interview show on Sundance, Spectacle: Elvis Costello With... I finally picked up the DVD box set of season 1, it's really great. In the first episode he interviews, and performs with, the show's executive producer, Elton John. The show features lengthy interview segments, more like conversations, and unique performances. In the Elton episode, Elvis and his band, (The Imposters, also featuring former Elvis Presley guitarist James Burton and New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint) opened with Elton's "Border Song." Stunning. I'm midway through the second episode, where Elvis interviews President Bill Clinton. Anyway, if you're a big music fan, this is highly recommended.  The first season also features Lou Reed, James Taylor, The Police, Smokey Robinson, one episode with Kris Kristofferson, Rosanne Cash, Norah Jones and John Mellencamp, and another with Jakob Dylan, She & Him and Jenny Lewis. The current season has featured Bono and The Edge, Levon Helm, Sheryl Crow and a two part Bruce Springsteen episode.

JOE HENRY TO TEAM WITH ALLEN TOUSSAINT AGAIN

Joe Henry is one of the best producers out there, but he
doesn't get a ton of press. He's produced really good or great albums in the past few years for Aimee Mann, Susan Tedeschi, Mary Gauthier, Betty Lavette and especially Solomon Burke. A couple of years ago, he produced a compilation called I Believe To My Soul, an album of New Orleans music (recorded before Katrina, by the way), which featured five great artists: Allen Toussaint, Mavis Staples, Billy Preston, Ann Peebles and Irma Thomas. About a year later, he worked with Mr. Toussaint again on the Elvis Costello/Allen Toussaint album The River In Reverse, which I see to Katrina as Bruce Springsteen's The Rising is to 9/11.

So, I was glad to read that Joe is producing a new solo album by Mr. Toussaint. The album is due out early next year.

By the way, I should mention that Joe Henry has made some pretty cool solo albums also, and he's a nice guy (I had the privilege to interview him a few years back).