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August 25, 2014 by Simon Sweetman

The Levon Helm Band: The Midnight Ramble Sessions Vol. 3

midnight ramble 3The Levon Helm Band

The Midnight Ramble Sessions Vol. 3

Vanguard Records/Universal

Dear old Levon – that voice, magical drummer, surely one of the all-time greatest singing-drummers (even if that’s not a huge category, nor sought-after award). Ronnie Hawkins & The Hawks, The Band, sitting in with Ringo’s All-Starr band, recording with Neil Young, Clapton and others. Making some great film (and TV) appearances – and then towards the end of his career a brace of really fine studio albums (Dirt Farmer and Electric Dirt) and a series of shows dubbed The Midnight Ramble Sessions. Too weak to tour Levon bought the show home, staging impromptu-feel revues with all-star bands.

There’s an extra poignancy to the third released in the Midnight Ramble Sessions series knowing it’s one of the last projects Helm was involved with – at the, er, helm of…

And though he’s only on a few of the cuts, vocally – no doubt slowed right down, struggling, there’s a wonderful feel-good vibe across some surprising cover versions here. A New Orleans slow-strut is applied to Dylan’s Simple Twist of Fate – and if you think that’s not going to work you’ve got to hear it. Brian Mitchell sells it so well.

Further highlights arrive with Allen Toussaint singing (and piano-playin’) on A Certain Girl and Chris Robinson (Black Crowes) does his thing on a version of Shake Your Money Maker, a song he’s owned so many times of course. levon

The closing Take Me To The River even manages to take in some of that “Last Waltz”-styled feel – for this is the last waltz really. And that’s the reason you’ll seek this out. Because Levon was great. And his Midnight Ramble shows were a big part of his story, him giving back; that wonderful gift of music. As soon as the disc opens with The Same Thing, that signature feel and sound in place you’ll be fighting back the tears – in some sense. If you were (and still are) a fan.

Lovely.

Posted in Blog, Reviews and tagged with Allen Toussaint, Black Crowes, Bob Dylan, Brian Mitchell, Chris Robinson, Dirt Farmer, Electric Dirt, Levon Helm, Midnight Ramble, Simple Twist of Fate, The Band, The Levon Helm Band, The Midnight Ramble Sessions, The Midnight Ramble Sessions Vol. 3, V/A. RSS 2.0 feed.
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