Toussaint and The China Band

NOIR ADDS WEDNESDAY NIGHT DIMENSION WITH TOUSSAINT AND THE CHINA BAND

STEVE MORSE, GLOBE STAFF
4/8/2004

Excerpts from the article:

It’s a rainy sloppy night in Cambridge. Soon it’s late, and the clock has passed 1 a.m., yet suddenly there’s a high-energy flood of people in Noir, a lounge in the Charles Hotel in Harvard Square; the only place in town with a nightly 2 a.m. license. Some Cambridge clubs can go until 2 a.m. from Thursday night to Sunday morning… but Noir is open late every night… It’s a godsend for night owls.

Wednesday is a special time at Noir because it’s the only regular night for live music. Toussaint & the China Band provide the sounds – a sleek blend of reggae, Motown and blues.

Toussaint, an Indiana transplant, mixes originals between outstanding cover versions of Bob Marley’s “Lively up Yourself,” Bill Withers’ “Use Me,” Willie Dixon’s “Same Thing” and Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get it On,” among others.

There’s no stage, but the four-piece band, which includes guitarist Johnny Trama, keyboardist Paul Wolstencroft and drummer Bill Carbone, sets up in a corner by the window that overlooks Harvard Square and the neon-lit Charlie’s Kitchen across the street.

The music is free and easy and so is the crowd – a well-oiled, multicultural blend of hotel guests, Harvard-connected hipsters, other Cantabrigians, and a flock of bar-industry staffers from nearby rooms that close at 1 a.m.

“Its good people and good vibes – and I come Wednesday for the music,” says Mike Brown, who spent the earlier part of his evening at the Middle East in Central Square.


- Boston Globe

ROCK NOTES
A musician in residence
By Steve Morse, Globe Staff | November 19, 2004

Call him Mr. Residency. He's earned the title, because no one has done more club residencies around town in the last year than the intriguing new singer, Toussaint. The son of a Baptist preacher and owner of a reggae-soul-pop voice that can light up a dance floor, Toussaint has had weekly stays in such spots as Noir, Brother Jimmy's, and the Green Street Grill in Cambridge, Caprice in Boston, and the Independent in Somerville.
He's now arrived at his latest venue -- Harpers Ferry in Allston, where Toussaint & the China Band perform every Tuesday and occasional other dates, including tonight.
''I've tried out residencies all over the city," says Toussaint, 25. ''I've had a hard time fitting myself into another room as well as I did at Noir. That gig just fell out of the sky and was beautiful. But Harpers is the best fit since Noir. The people understand what we're doing."
What they're doing is a bit unlike any other band in town. Toussaint has a sweet soul voice that he can turn up on harder-edged funk and pop tunes -- most of which are crowd-pleasing cover songs, though he's increasingly writing original material. At Harpers this past Tuesday, he sang Willie Dixon's ''Same Thing," Bob Marley's ''Soul Shakedown Party," and James Brown's ''I Can't Stand It," but he also mixed in a new original, ''Red State Blues," written about the states that lined up for President Bush. ''I looked at the TV screen . . . and all the states were bleeding red," he sang.
''His jams will just come out, and the songs will get born in improv," says China Band guitarist Johnny Trama. ''He'll write something and then just drop it in -- like he did 'Red State Blues' along with Willie Dixon's 'Same Thing.' And we've been building the songs that way."
As Toussaint says, ''I'm taking old-school reggae and R&B rhythms, then putting new lyrics over them." He also anticipates making a live album at Harpers Ferry, which would be his first official release, other than the CDs he burns and distributes at shows.
His original tunes tend to be political. ''People always say, 'You're not commercial enough' or 'You're too political' or 'too heavy,' " he says.''But I can't do it any other way. I have to come unabashedly. There are enough other people making music just to dance to. But I want to make a difference."
The dreadlocked, headband-wearing Toussaint (real name: Paul Barret) grew up in Kokomo, Ind. His dad was a traveling preacher who took the family around to church services in that state and in Kentucky, Missouri, and Michigan.
''I was kind of sheltered," Toussaint says. ''All I sang was gospel music -- and that's what I heard except for some old-school Marvin Gaye and Bill Withers. Then I got into college and was exposed to other things."

Page 2 of 2 -- Toussaint first attended the University of Evansville (where he played football as a wide receiver) and then Earlham College in Indiana, before opting to move to Boston a few years ago because he had a friend here. The rest has been residency history.
''The residencies have been the best way for people to see us," he says of his China Band, which includes Trama, Paul Wolsencroft, Bill Carbone, and Nate Edgar. ''It's hard to get a buzz in Boston unless you're a new punk-rock band or something, but we're trying."

- Boston Globe, Written by Steve Morse

THE HEIGHTS
BOSTON COLLEGE NEWSPAPER
SEPTEMBER 7TH, 2004

The Subterranean Sound - Toussaint and the China Band

China probably isn't the first place that comes to mind when most people think about good funk and reggae music. Jamaica, certainly. The Caribbean, of course. But the musical landscape of China usually consists of more strings and chimes than dreadlocks and bongos.

An anomaly to this assumption is Toussaint and the China Band (T & TCB), a feel-good reggae band spawned in Boston. The origin of T&TCB is rather unique. While spending time with a jazz band in Shanghai, China, drummer Bill Carbone discovered that the locals had a love of western music, especially when the band was fronted by a talented and expressive singer. Carbone then organized a group in Boston around this premise featuring Toussaint Liberator on vocals, with the intention of taking the group back to China. They immediately found success in their homeland, however, as well as a weekly gig at Noir in Cambridge. Though the plans to transplant the band to China eventually fell through, the band seems quite content making and playing music right here in Beantown.

But T&TCB isn't just a random assembly of musicians. Carbone and guitarist Johnny Trama grew up together, paying their dues in the Northeast. Both have spent years touring with their own various jazz, blues, and reggae bands and have spent almost a decade with organ player Paul Wolstencroft. These three musicians, along with bassist Nate Edgar "draw upon their various influences without being scattered, offering Toussaint a roots platter of funk soul and reggae grooves with which to do his thing," according to their website.

Toussaint, for his part, supplies a rich, dark voice. His singing style is smooth and almost effortless and is frequently supported by guest vocalists Ebony Barrett and Neftali. As with most good reggae music, the vocals don't always translate perfectly from sheet music to the stage. Toussaint's vocals fly as freely as the music itself; he will often bounce from original lyrics to cover songs as the band keeps a steady and energetic groove. Toussaint grew up in the church (his father was a Baptist preacher) and as a result began singing Gospel music in the choir. This experience allowed him to sing and travel across the Midwest as a child, and he continues to sing Gospel music at a Roxbury church. Moving from Indiana to Boston during his college years, he helped establish Red Pill, a hip-hop/reggae band. Red Pill's popularity afforded him the opportunity to perform alongside such talents as Me'Shell Ndegeocello, Wyclef Jean, and Usher. He has also worked with well-known hip-hop artists Talib Kweli, Common, and Mr. Lif, as well as countless other jazz, reggae, blues, and R&B artists.

True to the spirit of reggae music, Toussaint and the China Band is interested in spreading positive vibes via undeniably hypnotic grooves, stellar musicianship, and emotive, repetitive vocals.

The talent of the band is almost camouflaged by the loose, free-spirited nature of their music. It is easy to get lost in a song without realizing the intricacies of the instruments and the complexity of the composition. But this band isn't about showing off or soloing. They'd rather work together to get the crowd smiling - preferably, off of their bar stools and onto the dance floor.

The groove is the essence of reggae music, and this band knows it. But they are all equally comfortable showing their range, covering up-beat jazz numbers like Nina Simone's "My Baby Just Cares for Me," to dramatic blues songs like James Brown's "It's a Man's World." Other covers in their expansive set list include Michael Jackson, Al Green, Muddy Waters, and of course, reggae powerhouse Bob Marley.

College students and reggae music seem to go together like Dave Matthews and a guitar. Whether it's the foot-tapping groove, positive message, or exotic appeal, people seem to love having reggae music playing when they're finishing research papers at 2 a.m., trying to capture the flag in multi-player Halo, or simply occupying themselves with various other "recreational" activities. T&TCB won't let you down. They deliver the goods, and without an ounce of pretension or hesitation.

Catch T&TCB every Wednesday at Caprice Lounge (on Tremont Street across from the Wang center) at 10 p.m. and every Thursday at Green Street Grill in Central Square in Cambridge at 10:30 p.m. But be sure to bring your IDs: both shows are 21 and over. If weeknights aren't your thing, you can also see them on Saturday, Sept. 25 at the Attic, down the street at Newton Centre.

For everything from sound clips, pictures, and upcoming shows, go to the band's website at www.sonicbids.com/epk.asp?epk_id=14468.

- Boston College Newspaper