"We at NYNO wanted to present our music with a sense of quality and dignity that music often lacks today."

A Letter from Allen

Hello from the Big Easy!

If you are reading this letter you are a true lover of New Orleans Music. NYNO Records was founded to bring the indigenous music of New Orleans to you and the world. More important, we at NYNO wanted to present our music with a sense of quality and dignity that music often lacks today. Our geographical location has given us a beautiful and wonderful mix of cultures unmatched anywhere else in the world. From the "old world charm" of the wrought iron architecture to the hot sauce and alligator sausage, New Orleans is a vibrant, vital testament to the value of diversity. Of course, nowhere is this fact more apparent than in the music! In New Orleans, the music isn’t just in the clubs or on the dance floor, it’s in everything. You can feel it in the street, see it in the buildings and taste it in the food. The syncopation and the strut of the second line brass bands; the frenzied intensity of the Mardi Gras Indian chants; and the driving rhythms of blues, jazz and R&B are as essential to this city as eating and sleeping.

It was actually the piano itself that prompted me to take up music. When I was a small child my Aunt Ethlyn sent a piano to our house for my sister. My sister didn’t take too much interest, but for me it was love at first touch. When I heard Professor Longhair…well let’s just say I’d found my destiny. Soon I began spending a good portion of my time soaking up sounds from the radio- I especially loved the work of Lloyd Glenn, Albert Ammons, and Ray Charles. Later, I had the privilege of working with many of the greatest artists New Orleans has ever produced. All these years, though, I’ve known that there are many wonderful New Orleans artists who lack exposure outside of their native city. When my friend, Josh Feigenbaum, who is a true lover of New Orleans music, asked me if I might be interested in starting a label that would finally bring the music of some of these artists to the world, I jumped at the chance.

A lot of people, have asked me why I haven’t recorded myself more often. The answer is simple: with so many other great New Orleans artists around, I’ve felt obliged to put my own projects on the back burner. Thanks to the constant encouragement of my son Reggie, however, my friends and I recorded Connected my first full album in nearly 20 years. It was fun! I included several different styles of music on the record and I played a lot of piano!

It brings us great joy to have the privilege of bringing some of this wonderful music directly to you, a true New Orleans music lover. We hope you enjoy listening to these albums half as much as we enjoyed making them. In a world where many things have been sullied by the passing of time and the advancing of civilization, the beauty of music has remained unchanged. In New Orleans, perhaps more than anywhere else, people still make music for the pure, unadulterated pleasure of it. The Crescent City is extremely rich with musical tradition. A leisurely stroll through the French Quarter can often turn into a life affirming experience. Hopefully someday you can come to New Orleans and see, feel and hear the music. In the meantime, you can get a taste from NYNO Records. Thanks for listening!

Sincerely Yours,
Allen Toussaint

"It brings us great joy to have the privilege of bringing some of this wonderful music directly to you, a true New Orleans music lover."