Elvis Costello

Elvis Costello worked with the New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint a couple of other times over the years, but nothing will prepare you for their album length collaboration. Allen Toussaint's piano and horn charts are the definition of elegance, and while much here seriously rocks, the R&B master brings a new soulfulness to Costello's delivery (Listen to "All These Things" -- it's OK to cry). Many of the songs, old and new, poetically address how we've turned our backs on New Orleans.

Costello sings better than Toussaint, Toussaint exposes Steve Nieve as a klutz ("On Your Way Down," "International Echo"). (Grade - ***)