Allen Toussaint's "Songbook," a 2017 collection of live performances from NYC's Joe's Pub was expanded and reissued last week. There is a full disc's worth of unreleased tunes including one called "Hi Lee Hi." This is a lovely song that I hadn't heard before this release.
I did some digging and I have been coming up empty. Some sources say it's Allen's tribute to Jerry Garcia. Other sources say Toussaint "covers Jerry Garcia's 'Hi Lee Hi.'" The song doesn't turn up in either Toussaint's or Garcia's catalogue. I asked my good friend Zippy, who is a Dead Head, and the song is new to him, as well. He also pointed out that Jerry rarely wrote lyrics and the lyrics here sound nothing like anything Robert Hunter would have written.
So, I am going to guess, that as usual, the 25 year old music journalists stating that "Toussaint covers Jerry Garcia's 'Hi Lee Hi," had never heard of either before given the assignment of reviewing "Songbook," and that the lovely "Hi Lee Hi" is a Toussaint tribute to Garcia that has never been released until now.
If anyone has real info, please let me know.
I was wondering the same thing after hearing that bonus disc. Allen says, "Jerry Garcia" at the end of the song. I would never have associated it with anything Dead-ish if not for hearing him spout the name. Allen had a tendency to name the artist who covered the song he just played on the last note during those solo shows.. Like during Brickyard Blues on the same records he says, "Frankie Miller" at the end, My thought was he wrote this for Jerry Garcia and he covered it. But it sounds like that's not the case either,. Great song nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteMaybe an old NYCD employee can field this query?
ReplyDeletePart of the lyric for Hi Lee Hi reads -
ReplyDelete"With a pickled finger and a gleam in his eye and magic in the strings
His lips move in tandem with the rhythm of the fire as his joyful heart sings"
Kinda reads like a nod to Jerry
It's def a nod to Jerry. I'm just trying to get to the origin, why some articles say it's Allen covering Jerry and some say vice versa, and why the song itself isn't listed in either of their catalogues.
ReplyDeletethat was wonderful. thx
ReplyDeleteSal - leaning to Allen
ReplyDeleteFirst can't see Jerry referencing himself (a la Seinfeld, Jimmy 😉)
From what I read if you have the new album before he sings Hi Lee Hi the audio is there of Allen speaking about remembering Jerry prior to playing
ReplyDeleteI do and he doesn't.
Delete