Love for Levon explained
Love for Levon: Benefit to Save the Barn was a benefit concert held on October 3, 2012 at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The concert was a tribute to the life of The Band's co-lead vocalist and drummer Levon Helm, who died of throat cancer on April 19, 2012. The concert featured a wide variety of musicians who had worked with Helm as well as musicians who were influenced by him. Proceeds from the concert went towards keeping Helm's Woodstock barn in his family's control as well as continuing his Midnight Ramble concert series in the barn. The concert's musical directors were Don Was and Helm's frequent collaborator Larry Campbell.[1] [2] The concert was released on CD and DVD on March 19, 2013.[3]
Album and video
Love for Levon: A Benefit to Save the Barn |
Type: | live |
Artist: | various artists |
Cover: | File:Love-for-Levon-album-cover.jpg |
Alt: | High-contrast image of Levon Helm and the Barn |
Released: | March 19, 2013 |
Recorded: | October 3, 2012 |
Venue: | Izod Center East Rutherford, New Jersey |
Genre: | Rock, Americana |
Label: | Time Life Entertainment |
The concert was released as a two-disc album on CD, and also as a two-disc video on DVD and Blu-ray, on March 19, 2013.[4] [5] [6]
Musicians
House bands
There were two separate house bands for the performance which shared many of the same members. One band was The Levon Helm Band and the other was The All Star Band. The horn section backed both bands for most songs. Some songs included only some members of either band, and My Morning Jacket performed their songs with only the assistance of the horn section.
The All Star Band
The Levon Helm Band
- Larry Campbell – acoustic and electric guitar, mandolin, fiddle, lead and backing vocals
- Amy Helm – lead and backing vocals
- Teresa Williams – lead and backing vocals
- Jim Weider – acoustic and electric guitar
- Justin Guip – drums
- Byron Isaacs – bass guitar, double bass
- Brian Mitchell – piano, organ, accordion, keyboards
The Horn Section
- Steven Bernstein – trumpet, alto horn, soprano trombone
- Jay Collins – tenor saxophone
- Earl McIntyre – trombone[7]
- Howard Johnson – tuba, baritone saxophone
- Erik Lawrence – soprano and alto saxophone[8]
Special guests
Roger Waters, Garth Hudson, My Morning Jacket, John Mayer, Joe Walsh, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Gregg Allman, Bruce Hornsby, Ray LaMontagne, John Hiatt, Grace Potter, Warren Haynes, Lucinda Williams, Mavis Staples, Allen Toussaint, David Bromberg, Robert Randolph, John Prine, Jorma Kaukonen, Marc Cohn, Jakob Dylan, Mike Gordon, Joan Osborne, Jai Johanny Johanson, Jon Randall, Matt Burr, Barry Mitterhoff, Jessi Alexander, Steve Jordan, Shawn Pelton, Rami Jaffee and G.E. Smith[9]
Setlist
The set list was composed primarily of songs by The Band and Levon Helm solo (including songs they covered or recorded on with another artist).
- "The Shape I'm In"
- "Long Black Veil"
- "Trouble in Mind"
- "This Wheel's on Fire"
- "Little Birds"
- feat. Byron Isaacs and Teresa Williams
- "Listening to Levon"
- "Move Along Train"
- "Life is a Carnival"
- "When I Paint My Masterpiece"
- "Anna Lee"
- "Ain't Got No Home"
- "Whispering Pines"
- "Rag Mama Rag"
Intermission
- "Don't Do It"
- "I Shall Be Released"
- "Tears of Rage"
- "Rockin' Chair"
- "Chest Fever"
- feat. Garth Hudson, Dierks Bentley, Jon Randall and Jessi Alexander
- "A Train Robbery"
- "Get Up Jake"
- "Tennessee Jed"
- feat. John Mayer and Steve Jordan
- "Up on Cripple Creek"
- "Ophelia"
- "It Makes No Difference"
- "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down"
- "Wide River to Cross"
- feat. Roger Waters and G.E. Smith
- "The Weight"
- feat. all guest musicians[10]
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: Saed Hindash/The Star-Ledger . Roger Waters joins Love for Levon tribute show . NJ.com . 2012-10-13.
- Web site: Gary Graff/Detroit - BillBoard . 'Love for Levon' Concert Gets March Release on CD/DVD, Will Air on TV . billboard.com. 2013-04-24.
- Web site: Love For Levon (2xBlu-Ray + 2xCD) . Amazon . 2013-02-08.
- Web site: Steve . Leggett . Love for Levon: A Benefit to Save the Barn . AllMusic . January 2, 2017.
- Web site: Jeff . Giles . March 28, 2013 . Various Artists, Love for Levon – Album Review . Ultimate Classic Rock . January 2, 2017.
- Web site: Hal . Horowitz . March 19, 2013 . Various Artists: Love for Levon . American Songwriter . January 2, 2017.
- Although Clark Gayton was listed in the liner notes, the DVD clearly shows that the trombone player for the entire concert was Earl McIntyre. This was confirmed in a personal conversation with Byron Isaacs who said that Clark had been invited but did not attend due to a schedule conflict.
- Web site: Love for Levon Helm Tribute Concert - Blackbird Presents . 2012-10-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120929090333/http://loveforlevon.com/ . 2012-09-29 . dead .
- Web site: Tony LoBue . 'Levon Helm Official Website': Levon Helm Official Website . levonhelm.com . 2012-10-14.
- Web site: New Jersey . 'Love for Levon': Levon Helm tribute concert live blog . NJ.com . 2012-10-13.