It's hard to believe someone who's almost 70, has been perfoming for nearly 50 years, and who recently had a biopsy still has *it.* But you won't need us to tell you founding member of The Band and 2008 Grammy winner Levon Helm can still smack the skins. And play the guitar. And sing. And make magic happen.
More or less formulated through his Midnight Ramble sessions at his studios in Woodstock, NY, Helm's band is composed of a hoarde of great players including daugher and guitarist Amy Helm, fiddler Larry Cambell (B.Dylan, Emmylou Harris), trumpeter/composer Steven Bernstein (Lounge Lizards, Sexmob), harmonica player Little Sammy Davis, acordian/keys Brian Mitchell (B.B. King, Al Green, A. Touissant), and a handful of others.
Not nearly as active recently, health issues have forced Helm to take it easy on his delicate vocal chords and pass on some of the singing to other members of the group. He doesn't play but a few dozen times a year.
By dusk on Saturday you'll have witnessed history...
~jason repko
