Mavis Staples & Levon Helm collaborative album coming (watch a video)

Soul legend Mavis Staples and the late Levon Helm (of The Band) recorded a session together at Levon's Woodstock studio in 2011, which ended up being their last performance together and one of Levon's last-ever recordings before his death. Over ten years later, that session is now getting released as an album, Carry Me Home, on May 20 via ANTI- (pre-order). It includes 12 tracks, including songs made famous by Nina Simone, The Impressions, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, and more, and here's what Mavis says about the performance: "“It never crossed my mind that it might be the last time we’d see each other. He was so full of life and so happy that week. He was the same old Levon I’d always known, just a beautiful spirit inside and out. [...] We hugged and hugged and hugged. I just held on to him. I didn’t know it’d be the last time, but in my heart and in my mind, Levon will always be with me because I take him everywhere I go. Yes, indeed. I can see him right now. And some sweet day, we’ll be together again."

The first single is "You Got To Move," a gospel traditional that Mississippi Fred McDowell reworked as a blues song and The Rolling Stones covered on Sticky Fingers, and that comes with a video featuring footage of Mavis and Levon performing together and hanging out behind the scenes. Check it out below.

Mavis also has several tour dates coming up, some of which are with Levon's daughter Amy Helm, including one at Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) on 5/20, the day the album comes out. All dates are listed below.

Mavis Staple Levon Helm
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Tracklist
1. This Is My Country
2. Trouble In My Mind
3. Farther Along
4. Hand Writing On The Wall
5. I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free
6. Move Along Train
7. This May Be The Last Time
8. When I Go Away
9. Wide River To Cross
10. You Got To Move
11. You Got To Serve Somebody
12. The Weight

Mavis Staples -- 2022 Tour Dates
4/1 – Savannah, GA – Savannah Music Festival
4/14 – Beverly, MA – The Cabot
4/23 – Oxford, MS – Double Decker Festival 2022
4/24 – North Charleston, SC – High Water Fest 2022
4/28 – New Orleans, LA – Mardi Gras World
4/30 – Charlotte, NC – Tuck Fest
5/14 – Huntsville, AL – Orion Amphitheater
5/20 – Brooklyn, NY – BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music)$
5/21 – Accord, NY – Dirt Farmer Festival at Arrowood Farms$
5/28 – Toronto, Canada – Massey Hall
6/4 – Barcelona, Spain – Primavera Sound 2022
6/7 – Brussels, Belgium – Ancienne Belgique$
6/8 – Paris, France – La Cigale$
6/10 – Hilvarenbeek, Netherlands – Best Kept Secret 2022
6/11 – Kidlington, UK – Kite Festival 2022
6/13 - Stroud, UK – Subscription Rooms$
6/14 – Edinburgh, UK – Usher Hall$
6/16 – London, UK – Union Chapel$
6/17 – London, UK – Union Chapel$
6/19 – Newport, UK – Isle of Wight Festival
7/9 – Orillia, Canada – Mariposa Folk Festival
7/19 – Cincinnati, OH – The Andrew J. Brady Music Center%
7/20 – Huber Heights, OH – Rose Music Center at The Heights%
7/22 – Rochester Hills, MI – Meadow Brook Amphitheatre%
7/23 – Chicago, IL – Wrigley Field w/ Chris Stapleton
7/26 – Madison, WI – Overture Center for the Arts%
7/29 – Waite Park, MN – The Ledge Amphitheater%
7/30 – Sioux City, IA – Sioux City Orpheum%
8/2 – Lincoln, NE – Pinewood Bowl Amphitheater%
8/3 – Cedar Rapids, IA – McGrath Amphitheatre%
8/5 – St. Louis, MO – Fabulous Fox%
8/6 – Kansas City, MO – Starlight Theatre%
8/9 – Salina, KS – Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts%
8/11 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre%
8/14 – Boise, ID – Idaho Botanical Garden%
8/17 – Walla Walla, WA – Wine Country Amphitheater%
8/22 – Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater%
8/23 – Eugene, OR – The Cuthbert Amphitheater%
8/26 – Troutdale, OR – McMenamins Edgefield %
9/17 – Napa, CA – Oxbow RiverStage%
9/18 – Berkeley, CA – The Greek Theatre Berkeley%
9/20 – Paso Robles, CA – Vina Robles Amphitheatre%
9/22 – Santa Barbara, CA – Santa Barbara Bowl%
9/24 – Los Angeles, CA – The Greek Theatre%
9/27 – San Diego, CA – The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park%
12/9 – Costa Mesa, CA – Segerstrom Center for the Arts

% - with Bonnie Raitt
$ - with Amy Helm

Amy Helm -- 2022 Tour Dates
3/17 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium^
3/19 – Knoxville, TN – Tennessee Theatre^
3/20 – Birmingham, AL – Alabama Theatre^
3/22 – Atlanta, GA – Atlanta Symphony Hall^
3/23 – Mobile, AL – Saenger Theatre Mobile^
3/25 – New Orleans, LA – Saenger Theatre^
3/26 – Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall^
3/27 – Dallas, TX – Magestic Theatre^
4/1 – Turners Falls, MA – Shea Theater Arts Center
4/2 – Earlville, NY – Earlville Opera House
4/3 – Rochester, NY – Louis S. Walk JCC of Greater Rochester
4/6 – New York, NY – Café Wha
4/8 – Plymouth, MA – Spire Center for Performing Arts
4/9 – Tabor, NJ – At The Tabernacle
4/19 – Richmond, VA – Carpenter Theatre^
4/20 – Virginia Beach, VA – Sandler Center for the Performing Arts^
4/21 – Durham, NC – Carolina Theater^
4/23 – Savannah, GA – Johnny Mercer Theatre^
4/25 – Jacksonville, FL – Florida Theatre^
4/26 – Augusta, GA – Miller Theater^
4/30 – Patchogue, NY – Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts
5/20 – Brooklyn, NY – BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music)$
5/21 – Accord, NY – Dirt Farmer Festival at Arrowood Farms$
5/28 – Frenchtown, NJ - Artyard
6/7 – Brussels, Belgium – Ancienne Belgique$
6/8 – Paris, France – La Cigale$
6/11 – Bristol, UK – Louisiana
6/13 – Stroud, UK – Subscription Rooms$
6/14 – Edinburgh, UK – Usher Hall$
6/16 – London, UK – Union Chapel$
6/17 – London, UK – Union Chapel$
6/20 – London, UK – St. Pancras Old Church
8/1 – Big Indian, NY – Roots Rock Revival 2022

^ - with Little Feat
$ - with Mavis Staples