ALBUM STORY
SONGBOOK. (Allen Toussaint)
Songbook brings Allen Toussaint, his piano and his songs up close. Discover the live recordings from 2009 and the story behind the 2013 album.
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Open in Spotify ↗A CONCERT IN SONGS.
Songbook was released in 2013 and features live recordings from 2009 at Joe’s Pub in New York. Allen Toussaint lets his voice and piano carry the songs. The small ensemble brings the shape of the compositions into focus: a melody, a rhythmic movement and a few well-placed chords can open up an entire story.
FAMILIAR TITLES, A DISTINCTIVE VOICE.
It’s Raining, Lipstick Traces and Get Out of My Life, Woman are good entry points to the set. Notice how Toussaint lets the piano move around his singing. An instrumental response completes a line without repeating it. Listening becomes a conversation within a single performance, with attention to timing and the space between two phrases.
MORE THAN A COLLECTION OF SONGS.
Spoken moments and piano passages let you hear the transition from one song to the next. The album takes on the character of an encounter with an artist. The melodies may be familiar, but the way they come together in this concert offers new points of focus. Southern Nights, for example, creates a different listening space from a shorter, more rhythmically direct song.
SONGBOOK ON VINYL.
The 2026 vinyl edition places the original 25-track program across two LPs. The expanded digital version includes additional recordings and therefore differs from the physical tracklist. Keep that distinction in mind as you listen along with the Spotify player. The product page lists the details of the pressing on offer; here, we follow the musical story of the live album.
THE RECORD
DISCOGRAPHY.
A selection from Allen Toussaint’s repertoire. Follow the album links for details about the records or their stories.
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01Life, Love and Faith · 1972
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02Southern Nights · 1975
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03The River in Reverse · 2006 (with Elvis Costello)
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04The Bright Mississippi · 2009
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TRACKLIST.
The 25 tracks on the 2026 vinyl edition, including spoken introductions. The expanded digital edition also includes twenty bonus tracks.
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01Introduction
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02It’s Raining
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03Lipstick Traces
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04Introduction to Brickyard Blues
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05Brickyard Blues
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06With You in Mind
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07Who’s Gonna Help Brother Get Further
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08Sweet Touch of Love
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09Holy Cow
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10Introduction to Get Out of My Life, Woman
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11Get Out of My Life, Woman
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12Freedom for the Stallion
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13St. James Infirmary
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14Introduction to Shrimp Po-Boy, Dressed
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15Shrimp Po-Boy, Dressed
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16Soul Sister
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17All These Things
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18We Are America/Yes We Can
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19The Optimism Blues
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20Old Records
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21Certain Girl Medley: Certain Girl/Mother-in-Law/Fortune Teller/Working in the Coal Mine
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22It’s a New Orleans Thing
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23I Could Eat Crawfish Everyday
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24There’s No Place Like New York
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25Southern Nights
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.
Is Songbook a studio album?
No. The album is built around live recordings of Allen Toussaint at Joe’s Pub in New York in 2009.
When was Songbook released?
The album was released in 2013. A two-LP vinyl edition followed in 2026.
Is the Spotify version the same as the LP on offer?
The linked digital deluxe version includes additional material. The vinyl edition contains the original 25-track program; check the product details for information about the physical edition.
Where can I find Songbook on LP at SJELF?
Use the product link in this story. It lists the edition details and current availability of the vinyl record on offer.
Read the Allen Toussaint Artist Story. Find his records and more stories together on the Allen Toussaint artist page.
Want to listen to this album on vinyl? View Allen Toussaint’s Songbook on LP. The product page lists the details and availability of the edition on offer.
PIANO, VOICE AND ATTENTION.
Songbook rewards taking the time to listen to a passage again. A chord that first seemed like mere accompaniment can then shape the entire rhythm. The intimate ensemble makes these small choices audible. Toussaint shows how rich a song can be when its creator gives it room to breathe with just a few elements.
Discover more records and stories on Allen Toussaint’s ARTIST PAGE.
