ELVIS COSTELLO & ALLEN TOUSSAINT: HOT AS A PISTOL, KEEN AS A BLADE Reviewed by Adam D. Miller   If last year's album The River In Reverse proved that a full-scale studio collaboration between songwriters Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint was not only possible, but also a really good idea, this concert DVD recorded at the Montreal Jazz Festival in July 2006 demonstrates that this successful pairing was equally effective on a concert stage.Hot as a Pistol, Keen as a Blade finds Costello and Toussaint joined by the former's usual backing band, The Imposters (drummer Pete Thomas, keyboardist Steve Nieve and bassist Davey Faragher), along with guitarist Anthony “AB” Brown and The Crescent City Horns. Although the group is larger and varied, the music stays tight and well-orchestrated throughout, whether they're performing songs from The River In Reverse , Toussaint originals, or Costello classics (some of which have been given new arrangements by the multi-talented Toussaint). Among the many highlights are “Monkey To Man,” the Delivery Man standout that benefits greatly from the addition of horns, along with Toussaint's arrangements of “Tears Before Bedtime” (an Imperial Bedroom track that had never before been performed live) and “Watching The Detectives,” a Costello concert staple given new life in its presentation here. Elvis Costello is always great, and Hot as a Pistol is no exception, but it's Allen Toussaint who truly steals the show with renditions of “A Certain Girl,” “Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues)” and “Yes We Can Can,” not to mention his one vocal turn from The River in Reverse , “Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further?” If, like me, you yearned to hear more of Allen's buttery voice on The River in Reverse , this DVD release is the perfect fix. As wonderful as the two hours of music on Hot as a Pistol, Keen as a Blade are, it's unfortunate that Hip-o/Universal did not see fit to include the entire Montreal performance. Several songs were cut out, and as a result we are not only missing highlights, such as “That's How You Got Killed Before” and “That Day Is Done,” but also get some confusing stage banter between songs that contradicts what we have just seen. “Monkey To Man,” for example, is followed by Costello talking about having just played “On Your Way Down” from The River in Reverse (in concert he may have, but “On Your Way Down” was cut from the DVD). Despite these technical qualms, the DVD is essential viewing for anyone who missed out on Costello/Toussaint's summer tour, or those eager to relive the experience. |  |
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