The Silver Spring Penguin

Photo: Allen Toussaint rolled out the blues at Saturday's jazz fest. Credit: J. Deseo/SSP.

Blues pianist Allen Toussaint was a long way from his native New Orleans Saturday night, as an autumn chill rattled everyone in the Lee parking lot off Georgia Avenue. But the 71-year-old managed to bring his own heat.

Toussaint wrapped a long evening of music at the Silver Spring jazz festival with some of his biggest hits, including the slinky “Mother-in-Law” and the huffing and puffing of “Working in the Coal Mine”. He penned both songs, which were recorded by Ernie K-Doe and Lee Dorsey (and later Devo), respectively.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer gets major props for overseeing the transition of ragtime jazz and Delta blues into contemporary R&B, according to the hall’s website. His contribution to the 2005 benefit album “Our New Orleans” inspired him to drop his latest album, “The Bright Mississippi” (2009), a throwback to his ragtime roots. (more…)