On June 3, 2018, Clarence Fountain died aged 88. He was a founding member and leader of the gospel group Blind Boys of Alabama. Fountain and the group have worked with many famous musicians including Tom Waits, Lou Reed, Justin Vernon, k.d. Lang and Mavis Staples. Blind Boys of Alabama won five “Grammy Awards”, and received the “Grammy’s Lifetime Achievement Award”, and were inducted into the “Alabama Music Hall of Fame” in 2010.
Tag Archives: Mavis Staples
Los Lobos: The Ride
On May 4, 2004, “Hollywood/Mammoth” labels released “The Ride”, the eleventh Los Lobos album. It was recorded 2003 – 2004, and was produced by David Hidalgo, Louie Pérez, Cesar Rosas, Conrad Lozano and Steve Berlin. The album contains new material and new versions of earlier bands songs.
Personnel:
- David Hidalgo- vocals, guitar, accordion, fiddle, requinto jarocho
- Louie Pérez- vocals, guitar, drums, jarana
- Cesar Rosas- vocals, guitar, bajo sexto
- Conrad Lozano- vocals, bass, guitarron
- Steve Berlin- keyboards, woodwinds
- Cougar Estrada – drums, percussion
- Victor Bisetti – additional percussion
Café Tacuba
- Elfego Buendia – vocals
- Alejandro Flores – quinta guapanguera, requinto
- Emmanuel de Real – jarana, keyboards
- Joselo Rangel – electric guitar
- Garth Hudson- keyboards
- Mitchell Froom- keyboards
- Greg Leisz- pedal steel guitar
- Charles Williams – piano, organ, clavinet
- Francisco Torres – trombone
- Alberto Salas – piano
- Lonnie Jordan – B-3
Track listing:
- La Venganza de Los Pelados – featuring Café Tacuba
- Rita
- Is This All There Is? – featuring Little Willy G.
- Charmed
- Somewhere in Time – featuring Dave Alvin
- Wicked Rain/Across 110th Street – featuring Bobby Womack
- Kitate – featuring Tom Waitsand Martha Gonzales
- Hurry Tomorrow
- Ya Se Va – featuring Rubén Blades
- Wreck of the Carlos Rey – featuring Richard Thompson
- A Matter of Time – featuring Elvis Costello
- Someday – featuring Mavis Staples
- Chains of Love
Mavis Staple: Livin’ On A High Note
On February 19, 2016, “Epitaph” label released “Livin’ on a High Note”, the Mavis Staples studio album. It was recorded in August 2015, at “Agoura Borealis” in Agoura Hills, California, “Kingsize” in Los Angeles, and “CRC” in Chicago, and was produced by Matthew Ward.
Personnel:
- Mavis Staples – vocals
- Donny Gerrard – vocals
- Rick Holmstrom – guitar
- Tucker Martine – tambourine, mixing
- Matthew Ward – guitars, organ, synthesizer, backing vocals
- Jeff Turmes – bass
- Stephen Hodges – drums
- Alex Budman – tenor saxophone, flute
- David Moyer – baritone saxophone
- Sean Billings – trumpet
- Nathaniel Walcott – trumpet, clavinet, horn arrangements
- Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews – trumpet, trombone
- Humberto Ruiz – trombone
- Vicki Randle – backing vocals
- Pierre de Reeder, Josh Kvale, Mat Lejeune – engineer
- Adam Ayan – mastering
- Masaki Koike – art direction, design
Track listing:
- Take Us Back – Benjamin Booker
- Love and Trust – Ben Harper
- If It’s a Light – Charity Rose Thielen
- Action – Merrill Garbus
- High Note – Valerie June
- Don’t Cry – Matthew Ward
- Tomorrow – Jon Batiste, Aloe Blacc
- Dedicated – Justine Vernon, Matthew Ward
- History Now – Neko Case, Donny Gerrard, Laura Veirs
- One Love – Aaron Livingston
- Jesus Lay Down Beside Me – Nick Cave
- MLK Song – Martin Luther King Jr., Matthew Ward
John Scofield: That’s What I Say: John Scofield Plays the Music of Ray Charles
On June 7, 2005, “Verve” label released “That’s What I Say: John Scofield Plays the Music of Ray Charles”, the 35th John Scofield album. It was recorded in 2005, and was produced by Steve Jordan.
Personnel:
- John Scofield – guitar, finger snapping
- Warren Haynes – vocals, slide guitar
- John Mayer – vocals, acoustic and electric guitar
- Mavis Staples- vocals
- Dr. John – vocals, piano
- Aaron Neville- vocals
- Larry Goldings- Hammond organ, vibes, Wurlitzer
- Willie Weeks- bass
- Manolo Badrena – Spanish vocals, percussion, tambourine, timbales
- Steven “Steven J.” Jordan – drums, tambourine, backing vocals, hand clapping, finger snapping
- David Newman – tenor saxophone
- Alex Foster – tenor saxophone
- Earl Gardner- trumpet
- Keith O’Quinn – trombone
- Howard Johnson- baritone saxophone
- Vaneese Thomas- backing vocals, hand clapping
- Lisa Fischer- backing vocals, hand clapping
- Meegan Voss- backing vocals
Track listing:
- Busted
- What’d I Say
- Sticks And Stones
- I Don’t Need No Doctor
- Cryin’ Time
- I Can’t Stop Loving You
- Hit The Road Jack
- Talkin’ ‘Bout You/I Got A Woman
- Unchain My Heart (Part 1)
- Let’s Go Get Stoned
- Night Time Is the Right Time
- You Don’t Know Me
- Georgia On My Mind
Bruce Springsteen: A MusiCares Tribute to Bruce Springsteen
On March 25, 2014, “Columbia” label released “A MusiCares Tribute to Bruce Springsteen”, a concert video filmed in 2013 at the “MusiCares Person of the Year” ceremony, to honor and pay tribute to Bruce Springsteen for his artistic achievement in the music industry and dedication to philanthropy. The ceremony was hosted by Jon Stewart and features performances by musicians who have long been fans and admirers of Springsteen’s body of work. Springsteen and the E Street Band concluded the ceremony with their own performance. The video is directed by Leon Knoles.
Track listing:
- Adam Raised a Cain – performed by Alabama Shakes
- Because the Night – performed by Patti Smith
- Atlantic City – performed by Natalie Maines, Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite
- American Land – performed by Ken Casey of the Dropkick Murphys
- My City of Ruins – performed by Mavis Staples and Zac Brown
- I’m on Fire – performed by Mumford and Sons
- American Skin (41 Shots) -performed by Jackson Browne and Tom Morello
- My Hometown – performed by Emmylou Harris
- One Step Up – performed by Kenny Chesney
- Streets of Philadelphia – performed by Elton John
- Hungry Heart – performed by Juanes
- Tougher Than the Rest – performed by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill
- The Ghost of Tom Joad – performed by Jim James and Tom Morello
- Dancing in the Dark – performed by John Legend
- Lonesome Day – performed by Sting
- Born in the U.S.A. – performed by Neil Young and Crazy Horse
- We Take Care of Our Own – performed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
- Death to My Hometown – performed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
- Thunder Road – performed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
- Born to Run – performed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
- Glory Days – performed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band



