In 2011, musician Levon Helm (perhaps best known as a vocalist and drummer for The Band) invited legendary recording artist Mavis Staples to his Woodstock studio to record a series of sessions. They would become some one of Helm’s last, as he passed away due to throat cancer in 2012. From these sessions—which will be released by Anti as an album titled Carry Me Home …
In 1971, in Aberdeen, Mississippi, 11-year-old Annie Brown Caldwell, 12-year-old ARC Brown and 13-year-old Edward Brown formed Staples Jr Singers, an family gospel group that fused the urgent struggles of Black Americans with infectious, breezy funk and cruising melodies. They went on to create one of the rarest gospel recordings of the ’70s, When Do We Get Paid, by selling copies on their front lawn. …
From Canadian singer-songwriter and producer Charlotte Day Wilson’s Alpha comes the captivating but heartbreaking “Wish It Was Easy.” The sparse, raw percussion leaves space for listeners to reflect on the lyrics, which Day Wilson delivers in sublime, velvety tones. Across the album, listeners will hear shades of Day Wilson’s many influences—from soul to folk, gospel and beyond.
