Certain incorrect circles know Mavis Staples best for teaming up with The Band in The Last Waltz to deliver an iconic version of their most well-known song “The Weight.” While the airing of her 75th birthday all-star tribute concert will likely do a good bit to fix it, it is true that no retrospective of Staples career could be all the way complete without visiting the time that The Band, The Staples Singers and Martin Scorsese came together to make music documentary gold.
So, that’s how we ended up with this clip of Staples and a huge cast of famous musicians looking for a place to lay their heads. Greg Allman, Arcade Fire’s Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, Emmylou Harris, Michael McDonald and a whole grip of other famous singers joined Staples for what seems to be the closing track of the tribute show. Though the set in question took place all the way back in 2014, it’s making its way to air for the first time on April 16. Mavis Staples: I’ll Take You There — An All-Star Concert Celebration airs at 10 PM. ET on AXS TV.
After the show airs, it will be packaged as a CD/DVD on June 2 via Blackbird Presents Records. Check out the full tracklist below:
1. Joan Osborne — “You’re Driving Me (To The Arms Of A Stranger)”
2. Keb’ Mo’ — “Heavy Makes You Happy”
3. Otis Clay –“I Ain’t Raisin’ No Sand”
4. Buddy Miller — Woke Up This Morning (With My Mind On Jesus)”
5. Patty Griffin — “Waiting For My Child”
6. Emmylou Harris — “Far Celestial Shore”
7. Michael McDonald — “Freedom Highway”
8. Glen Hansard — “People Get Ready”
9. Mavis Staples & Aaron Neville – “Respect Yourself”
10. Ryan Bingham – “If You’re Ready (Come Go With Me)”
11. Widespread Panic – “Hope In A Hopeless World”
12. Grace Potter – “Grandma’s Hands”
13. Eric Church – “Eyes on the Prize”
14. Taj Mahal – “Wade in the Water”
15. Gregg Allman – “Have a Little Faith”
16. Mavis Staples & Bonnie Raitt – “Turn Me Around”
17. Mavis Staples, Bonnie Raitt, Taj Majal & Greg Allman – “Will the Circle Be Unbroken”
18. Mavis Staples, Win Butler & Régine Chassagne – “Slippery People”
19. Mavis Staples & Tweedy – “You Are Not Alone”
20. Mavis Staples – “I’ll Take You There”
21. Mavis Staples & Everybody – “The Weight”
For more Mavis, give a close listen to Gorillaz new album Humanz when it drops on April 28.
