Her Prince-produced albums aren't masterpieces, but she more than holds her own in the Purple Dimension.
― dow, Monday, 13 October 2014 19:23 (nine years ago) link
Their "Slippery People" cover has been a go-to staple of my dj sets for 30 years now!
― Dick Clownload (Dan Peterson), Monday, 13 October 2014 19:26 (nine years ago) link
I still haven't heard her new albums with Jeff Tweedy production, but they're getting her the Bob Boilen/NPR audience now. She's got a big 75th birthday tribute event coming up in Chicago
― curmudgeon, Monday, 13 October 2014 19:53 (nine years ago) link
I’ll Take You There – Celebrating 75 Years Of Mavis Staples
To Feature Performances By:Gregg Allman, Ryan Bingham, Eric Church, Patty Griffin,Glen Hansard, Taj Mahal, Michael Mcdonald,Buddy Miller, Aaron Neville, Widespread Panic,Grace Potter, Mavis Staples and Marty StuartJeff Tweedy and Spencer Tweedy,Emmylou Harris, Keb’ Mo’ and Joan Osborne
Mavis Staples Set To Take The Stage For Special Performances Throughout the Evening
Not the guestlist I would choose (I'd keep Aaron Neville)
― curmudgeon, Monday, 13 October 2014 19:56 (nine years ago) link
I saw her at an outdoor show this summer. She did all the hits, plus "Slippery People" and a cover of Funkadelic's "Can You Get To That." I think that was on last year's album, which I haven't heard either. She's still in powerful voice.
That featured artist list is... something.
― Dick Clownload (Dan Peterson), Monday, 13 October 2014 20:09 (nine years ago) link
She's good w Marty and his band on the xpost album, and Marty's usually better live; could see w Emmylou, Patty Griffin, Taj Mahal working well; Eric Church has a good band, Buddy Miller can provide good guitar accompaniment,esp. for female singers (but don't let him, or maybe Eric, try to sing w her)Aaron, yes: intriguing combination of styles. Could live w out any of the others (came to like Bingham's intro song on The Bridge, but his nasality with her--?)
― dow, Monday, 13 October 2014 20:17 (nine years ago) link
http://consequenceofsound.net/2015/04/stream-mavis-staples-new-ep-your-good-fortune/
Not a Jeff Tweedy production. It's Son Little (AKA Aaron Livingston who has sung on albums from the Roots and RJD2)
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 16 April 2015 15:25 (eight years ago) link
New movie doc Mavis! is showing in W. DC Sunday night, and will be out on HBO after a theatre run.
I saw it and mostly liked it, although parts of it bugged me (as well as things that were left out). Director Jessica Edwards’ Mavis! is more than just singer Mavis Staples’ story: It’s about her father (guitarist Pops Staples), their family band (the Staple Singers), the civil rights movement, and “I’ll Take You There.” The movie largely follows the standard procedure of mixing archival photos and film alongside new interviews with musicians (Bob Dylan, Chuck D, members of the Band), journalists (biographer Greg Kot, gospel historian and producer Anthony Heilbut), and friends. To keep the film contemporary, Edwards says she consciously tried to only include archival footage that features Mavis. This approach captures the still-vibrant seventysomething’s personality, but it also means her current producer, Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, gets more screen time than, say, her longtime colleague, activist Julian Bond. Still, the film displays Mavis’ skillful vocal chops, warmth, and tenacity from her days as a booming, deep-voiced teen gospel singer on through her family’s freedom songs period, Stax Records soul years, and solo Prince-produced efforts, plus Tweedy ones. Mavis and her father are eloquent throughout. She recounts him saying, “If Dr. King can preach it, we can sing it,” and later pays homage to her dad: “You laid the foundation. I’m still working on the building.”
So even though Mavis signed off on having Tweedy and his son add their musicianship to a release of old Pop recorded material, I still wish Tweedy said no and just either left the tapes as is, or got others to record. Perhaps I am not giving Tweedy or his drummer son enough credit.
― curmudgeon, Friday, 19 June 2015 17:18 (eight years ago) link
^^^doc is great, everybody watch it
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 2 March 2016 16:26 (eight years ago) link
I was shocked to see actual footage of her and Prince in the recording studio, with Prince behind the mixing board, talking her through a take
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 2 March 2016 16:28 (eight years ago) link
plus: footage of her at Levon Helm's home, singing "The Last Time" with him, p intense
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 2 March 2016 16:29 (eight years ago) link
will def check this out; sounds great
― dc, Wednesday, 2 March 2016 18:30 (eight years ago) link
is it on dvd? or just making the rounds in theaters?
― tylerw, Wednesday, 2 March 2016 18:32 (eight years ago) link
it's on hbo now
― dc, Wednesday, 2 March 2016 18:32 (eight years ago) link
I admit I kinda teared up watching Mavis cry while listening to the raw, unaccompanied tracks of Pops' last album
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 2 March 2016 18:44 (eight years ago) link
i still haven't heard that pops solo album ...
― tylerw, Wednesday, 2 March 2016 19:13 (eight years ago) link
I've only heard clips of that and the recent Mavis stuff, but it all sounded p good tbh.
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 2 March 2016 19:19 (eight years ago) link
yeah i should check it out ... that recent staples box set is a total pleasure
― tylerw, Wednesday, 2 March 2016 19:24 (eight years ago) link
Given all the musical artists passing away recently, I was more than a little hesitant to click on this thread.
― Retro novelty punk (Dan Peterson), Wednesday, 2 March 2016 19:55 (eight years ago) link
she looks like she is in great shape tbh, still working/motivated, she is really inspirational.
was also surprised by Dylan's appearance (feel like he never appears as a talking head in *anything*), and by the fact that apparently he had quite a crush on/flirted with Mavis in the early 60s
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 2 March 2016 22:44 (eight years ago) link
wasn't too into the last one from mavis (it didn't seem bad but), the new album with ben harper is sitting right, though
― j., Friday, 12 July 2019 03:55 (four years ago) link
RAZ: Pops, I think I want to marry that Mavis.R”P”S: Tell her that, not me.
― Vini C. Riley (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 12 July 2019 04:02 (four years ago) link
X-post- will have to check out the effort with Harper. Something about Jeff Tweedy’s work with her rubbed me the wrong way. The whole we need an indie rock guy to market and present her thing. Kinda like Bettye Lavette and her Dylan and Who covers
― curmudgeon, Friday, 12 July 2019 12:28 (four years ago) link
Nice bit of footage if you can ignore the pop-ups that keep, er, popping up every five seconds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcFvyp8SlLA
― Frank Bough: I Took Drugs with Vice Girls (Tom D.), Sunday, 10 May 2020 12:00 (three years ago) link