Allen Toussaint is one of America's greatest musical treasures. Singer, pianist, songwriter, arranger and producer—the New Orleans native has been making hit records for nearly forty years. His massive influence on American music reaches deep into the idioms of rhythm and blues, pop, country, musical theater, blues and jazz. Now, Toussaint adds yet another credit to his lengthy list of accomplishments, co-founder of NYNO Records. Timed to debut in conjunction with the 1996 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, NYNO launched three albums, led by Connected, Toussaint's first full-length national release in nearly two decades. Recorded in New Orleans at Toussaint's famed Sea-Saint Recording Studios, Connected offers Toussaint's trademark mix of Professor Longhair-inspired piano licks, funky R&B and sensitive balladry. The album's lyrics touch on the desire for love and the longing for oneness, both between individuals and among the world family. NYNO, which refers to the label's twin homes in the Big Easy and the Big Apple, is the product of a partnership between Toussaint and New Yorker Joshua Feigenbaum, founder of MJI Broadcasting. In this venture, Toussaint hopes to realize a lifelong dream to increase the professional recognition and presence of the great indigenous music of New Orleans and its varied practitioners. In addition to his own album, Connected, Toussaint either produced, wrote for or performed on all the other NYNO releases.

Allen Toussaint has been an integral part of New Orleans' musical landscape since the late fifties. His first career break came at age 17 when he was hired by Dave Bartholomew to play the piano parts for a Fats Domino recording session when "the Fat Man" was on the road. In his early twenties, Toussaint was hired by the local Minit Records to supervise its recording activities. Toussaint quickly accumulated an amazing string of hits for the label, producing, writing, arranging and often performing on tracks by Ernie K-Doe, Irma Thomas, Aaron Neville and Benny Spellman. Toussaint also cut his first solo record in 1958 for RCA, and two of his earliest tunes, "Java" and "Whipped Cream" (the Herb Alpert hit used as the theme for The Dating Game) on the album became instrumental standards. In the late 60s, Toussaint formed Sansu Enterprises, scoring hit after hit with Lee Dorsey, backed by a band which evolved into The Meters. His Sea-Saint Recording Studios opened in the early 70's, with its goal to create a state-of-the-art studio in New Orleans that could compete with those in Nashville and Muscle Shoals. Toussaint's output in the seventies included some of the most seminal songs of the funk and disco era, including Dr. John's "Right Place, Wrong Time" and Labelle's "Lady Marmalade," while his horn arrangements were featured on such legendary rock albums as The Band's "The Last Waltz."

As a solo recording artist Toussaint released four albums for Warner Brothers/Reprise, "From Whisper to a Scream", "Love, Life and Faith", "Southern Nights" and "Motion". More recently, he has been featured on several all-star collaborations, including "Rhythm Country and Blues," "Crescent City Gold" and "Bluesiana Hot Sauce." Some of the best known hits penned by Toussaint include: Ernie K-Doe's "Mother-in-Law;" "Fortune Teller," recorded by both Benny Spellman and The Rolling Stones; the Lee Dorsey hit "Working in the Coalmine", also recorded by Devo; and the Grammy-nominated "Southern Nights," recorded by Glen Campbell, which received BMI's "The Most Performed Song of the Year" in 1977 and won the Country Music Association's "Song of the Year." The master has produced, written for and/or performed with the Pointer Sisters, Bonnie Raitt, The Judds, Robert Palmer, Otis Redding, The O'Jays, Boz Scaggs, Albert King, Johnny Winter, Ringo Starr, Paul Simon, Chet Atkins, Morrissey and Elvis Costello, among others. One of the leading disciples of Professor Longhair, Toussaint has been featured, along with 'Fess and Tuts Washington, in the award-winning documentary, Piano Players Rarely Ever Play Together.

Toussaint has also plied his expertise in live theater, writing words and music for the play William Christopher and contributing to the success of the off-Broadway play Stagger Lee as a performer, composer and musical director. The play received the prestigious Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Music in an Off-Broadway Musical for 1986-87. He again performed and served as composer and musical director in the 1991 production of High Rollers Social and Pleasure Club. In New Orleans, Toussaint is revered for his distinguished record in public service. He is consistently devoting his talents to a variety of community and charity programs, including New Orleans Artists Against Hunger and Homelessness, an organization he helped to found. Recently, he received the Louisiana Lifetime Achievement Award presented at the Governor's Mansion. His creative powers in full bloom, 1998 has already been an extremely successful year for Allen. On January 12th he was awarded with one of the highest honors possible to be bestowed on anyone in the music business - induction into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in the non-performer category. On January 14th at the uptown Tipitina's in New Orleans, there was a triple celebration - his 60th birthday, his Hall of Fame triumph and the Club's 21st anniversay. On February 22nd, Allen Toussaint was inducted into Tipitina's newly inaugurated Walk of Fame, joining the ranks of Fats Domino and Art Neville.

The highlight of 1998 in the crescent city will surely be, the "Allen Toussaint Presents" at the newly opened Tipitina's in the French Quarter. Stop by any Thursday night. So, while you may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the very dapper southern gentleman one Thursday night, you will always be able to listen to the grooves of any one of the many artists and musicians he has produced. What a treat!

"In a career that has spanned nearly half the century, Allen Toussaint has exerted an unparalleled influence over the New Orleans music scene." -- New Orleans Times Picayune

Quote from Real Blues Magazine

"Allen Toussaint is New Orleans. The 'Number One' music man of the Crescent City is carrying the torch passed to him by Professor Longhair. Singer song-writer, painist, producer, arranger, label owner…mover, shaker and shaper. Virtually every major artist and every hit record to come out of New Orleans since early 1960s has had the "Toussaint touch" shaping it or them. I can't think of anybody alive who can play piano like this, yet it's not something that's common public knowledge. His arrangements make every song come to life with a strong individual identity for each one and his lyrics are poetry." --Andy Grigg