Sadly, Joe Henry will shoulder much of the press responsibilities for the late Allen Toussaint’s final record, American Tunes, due this Friday on Nonesuch Records.

Here are couple of nice articles from Toussaint’s hometown of New Orleans, prominently featuring comments from JH:

• The Times-Picayune by Chelsea Brasted (though I think the author intends to reference The Bright Mississippi, rather than The River in Reverse)
• Best of New Orleans by John Wirt
• Los Angeles Times by Randy Lewis
• Really wonderful interview with JH by Steve Hochman of Music Aficionado
• Interview with Joe Henry on KPCC’s The Frame

And here’s an updated roundup of reviews for the album:

• Review by Nate Chinen in the New York Times
• Review by Tom McDermott in Offbeat Magazine
• Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine in All Music
• Review by Neil Spencer in The Guardian
• Review by Joe Breen in The Irish Times
• Review by Jim Hynes in Elmore Magazine
• Review by Robert Baird in Stereophile
• Review by Pablo Gorondi for Associated Press
• Review by Tom Moon for NPR
• Review by Jeff Simon for The Buffalo News
• Review by Tony Nielsen for the New Zealand Herald
• Review by Walter Tunis in the Lexington Herald Leader
• Review by George De Stefano for PopMatters
• Review by Keith Spera in the New Orleans Advocate
• Review by Marcus K. Dowling for Pitchfork
• Review by Eric Luecking in Paste Magazine