Allen Toussaint, the legendary New Orleans R&B pioneer, made his early mark in the industry as a piano player, composer, song writer and producer in the 50s and 60s, working with Fats Domino, Ernie K-Doe, Irma Thomas, Lee Dorsey, and The Meters among numerous others. It’s really amazing how many incredible records he had a hand in creating. Toussaint also produced some solo albums, his best ones coming in the early 70s. In 1972, in what seems to be the magical (and my favorite) year for funk, Toussaint put out Life, Love and Faith on Reprise.

As a solo artist, Toussaint comes up with some great ideas and at times produces some really strong soul-funk tracks. At the same time, the album is a bit uneven. Maybe that’s because Toussaint explored his diverse musical knowledge and interests instead of going for the same sound throughout the album. It still makes for some excellent mix-tape material, if you feel like weeding through to find the best stuff.

The bottom line is that you just can’t go wrong with anything Allen Toussaint related. Have a listen to “Soul Sister”, from the Life, Love and Faith LP.