A new album titled Carry Me Home, featuring an archival live recording of late Band singer/drummer Levon Helm and gospel/soul legend Mavis Staples performing together with their respective solo groups, will be released on May 20 on CD and digital formats.
The album was recorded in the summer of 2011 at one of the popular Midnight Ramble events held at Helm’s barn and studio in Woodstock, New York.
The show’s set list featured a mix of vintage gospel, soul, folk and blues tunes, along with renditions of Bob Dylan‘s “You Got to Serve Somebody” and The Band’s “The Weight.” Mavis was famously featured performing the latter tune with her family group The Staple Singers and The Band in the classic 1978 concert film The Last Waltz.
The Woodstock show marked the last time that Mavis performed with Levon, who died of cancer at age 71 in April 2012.
In advance of Carry Me Home‘s release, a performance of the traditional spiritual song “You Got to Move” has been made available as a digital single, and a video of Staples singing the song with Levon, his group and her own band has debuted at the ANTI- Records label’s YouTube channel. Mavis’ group included her sister and fellow Staple Singers member Yvonne, who passed away in 2018 at age 80.
A vinyl version of Carry Me Home will be released on June 17.
Mavis, 82, has more than 40 concerts on her 2022 tour schedule, which includes a lengthy stint as the opening act on Bonnie Raitt‘s U.S. summer tour:
Here’s the full track list of Carry Me Home:
“This Is My Country”
“Trouble in My Mind”
“Farther Along”
“Hand Writing on the Wall”
“I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free”
“Move Along Train”
“This May Be the Last Time”
“When I Go Away”
“Wide River to Cross”
“You Got to Move”
“You Got to Serve Somebody”
“The Weight”
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