It was just shy of a month ago that we lost Levon Helm, a true legend of rock and roll. The outpouring from the music community was immediate and immense. Here are but a few of the musical tributes (see below for the playlist details). Levon, you will be missed. Simone Felice performs “Radio Song†[…]
David Bromberg and Ry Cooder
The release of new albums by two masters of roots music this summer flew pretty much under the radar. Both David Bromberg and Ry Cooder have churned out album after album of Americana spanning folk to R&B since the early 1970s. Bromberg’s career has been the oddest, with long periods of withdrawal from public performance […]
You Pick It: Springsteen’s “Atlantic City”
What is it about Bruce Springsteen songs? Judging from these performances, they are as much fun for the artists to perform as they are for the audience to enjoy. Here’s a collection of artists taking on the stark “Atlantic City.” I’m partial to Levon Helm — who makes the song his own. I also like […]
Win Big: Elvis Costello’s Spectacle
If you haven’t been watching the second season of Spectacle: Elvis Costello With… on the Sundance Channel, you’ve been missing some incredible music television. A storied songwriter in his own right, Costello is able to speak as a peer with a diverse range of musical guests. He deftly explores their musical history and approach to […]
Revisiting the Classics: The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
The Band classic “The Weight” is a standard closing number for musicians across the world (see Chris & Rich Robinson of the Black Crowes joining Levon Helm on it this past week here), but I’ve always been partial to “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.” Drummer Levon Helm’s impassioned vocals are downright spine-tingling as […]