Bahamian Ballads
When you make your living playing music for the island vacation set, your mission is to soothe and seduce. In this way, the mellifluous Haitian-born singer André Toussaint was a master. Toussaint entertained visitors to the Bahamas as a fixture on the Nassau lounge and club scene throughout the '50s and '60s. The 22 tracks on this gloriously gentle disc include a wide variety of settings. Some tracks feature Toussaint alone with only his distinctive acoustic picking to support him. Others find him backed by a delicate piano trio, while still others feature a full Latin-flavored band. There are traditional folk songs and vibrant originals, and Toussaint sings in Spanish, French, Italian, and English. Yet, no matter the style, Toussaint imbues his music with lilting tropical rhythms, his mellow croon, and a distinctly laid-back vibe. You don't have to be a world-music maven to appreciate these warm, charismatic, evocative performances, but a colorful cocktail would help, for sure.--Marc Greilsamer