Raven [Australia]
2005
Yes We Can / Night People
About This Album
During the '60s, Lee Dorsey had three big crossover singles -- "Ya Ya," "Ride Your Pony," and "Working in a Coalmine" -- all featuring the piano of songwriter/producer Allen Toussaint, who also wrote the latter two along with the majority of Dorsey's '60s work. Toussaint was one of the linchpins in New Orleans R&B, writing hits for Ernie K-Doe and Chris King among others, but his songs arguably sounded the best in the hands of Dorsey, whose smooth yet earthy growl is more nuanced and versatile than it initially appears, capable of capturing both the sly humor and elegance of Toussaint's compositions. That much was clear on his '60s singles, but his LPs from that decade, such as the fine New Lee Dorsey and Ride Your Pony, illustrated his true versatility as a vocalist, while showcasing Toussaint's range as a writer, arranger, and bandleader. For all but the most dedicated record collector, those terrific sides for Amy are all that they know about Dorsey and Toussaint's collaboration. Those were the recordings that were the hits, those were the recordings that were played on oldies radio, and those were the recordings that were reissued on CD, while the two albums Dorsey and Toussaint made in the '70s seemed lost, never reissued and rarely mentioned in either's discography or biography.
Track List (try tracks 1,3,6,8,9,11,12,13,15,16,18,19,20,21 and 23)

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