Post Tagged with: "Levon Helm"

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Flurry of activity, recognition followed passing of Levon Helm: ‘A very positive time, actually’

Amy Helm, a key member of her father Levon Helm’s touring unit, discusses the emotional aftermath of his death.

The Band, “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” from ‘The Band’ (1969): Across the Great Divide

The Band, “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” from ‘The Band’ (1969): Across the Great Divide

Levon Helm’s delicately poignant vocal completely animates this key song from the Band – stripping bare the awful costs of these kind of conflicts.

The Band, “Rag Mama Rag” from ‘The Band’ (1969): Across the Great Divide

The Band, “Rag Mama Rag” from ‘The Band’ (1969): Across the Great Divide

A cross between a Memphis blues and a Storyville saloon romp, “Rag Mama Rag” showed the Band’s complete grasp of American song styles.

The Band, “The Weight” from ‘Music from Big Pink’ (1968): Across the Great Divide

The Band, “The Weight” from ‘Music from Big Pink’ (1968): Across the Great Divide

A cinematic, fever dream of a song, “The Weight” remains both an enigma and an emblem for its singer Levon Helm and the Band.

The Band, “To Kingdom Come” from ‘Music from Big Pink’ (1968): Across the Great Divide

The Band, “To Kingdom Come” from ‘Music from Big Pink’ (1968): Across the Great Divide

After reaching across generations on the solemn and startling “Tears of Rage,” the Band leapt into a rambling groove on “To Kingdom Come.”

The Band, “Tears of Rage” from ‘Music from Big Pink’ (1968): Across the Great Divide

The Band, “Tears of Rage” from ‘Music from Big Pink’ (1968): Across the Great Divide

“Tears of Rage” quickly established the Band as something entirely different, even before Richard Manuel’s devastating vocal began.

The Band, “Don’t Ya Tell Henry” from ‘The Basement Tapes’ (1967): Across the Great Divide

The Band, “Don’t Ya Tell Henry” from ‘The Basement Tapes’ (1967): Across the Great Divide

As with everything surrounding The Band’s ‘Basement Tapes,’ there remains a lasting discourse on when “Don’t Ya Tell Henry” was recorded.

The Band, “Yazoo Street Scandal” from ‘The Basement Tapes’ (1968): Across the Great Divide

The Band, “Yazoo Street Scandal” from ‘The Basement Tapes’ (1968): Across the Great Divide

The carnal, harrowing “Yazoo Street Scandal” points directly to subsequent triumphs for Levon Helm and the Band like “The Weight” and “Ophelia.”

Jimmy Vivino on ’13 Live,’ Al Kooper and the Band’s indelible legacy: Something Else! Interview

Jimmy Vivino on ’13 Live,’ Al Kooper and the Band’s indelible legacy: Something Else! Interview

Jimmy Vivino’s connection with the Band runs deep, and it continues right through ’13 Live,’ which was recorded at Levon Helm’s rustic concert space.

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Jimmy Vivino and the Black Italians – 13 Live (2013)

Some magic was bound to surround this, as Jimmy Vivino reunited with long-time former collaborators for the first time in years. But doing so in Levon Helm’s old-barn studio, where Vivino had made so many memories, only heightened the date’s sense of emotional reminiscence. You May Also Like: The BlackRead More