Crescent City

Lucinda Williams performing "Crescent City" with Levon Helm and his band.

Up On Cripple Creek

From 45 years ago today, November 2nd 1969, here is The Band on The Ed Sullivan Show performing "Up On Cripple Creek".

Short Fat Fannie

Levon Helm performing "Short Fat Fannie", followed by a chat with Conan O'Brien.

The Weight

An all star performance of "The Weight"—Elvis Cotello, Ray LaMontagne, Nick Lowe, Richard Thompson, Allen Toussaint and Levon Helm on drums.

Ophelia

I think Amos Lee can cover just about anything.  Here he performs The Band's "Ophelia".



The original is great also, here is Levon Helm singing the song in the 1978 film "The Last Waltz".

No Depression

I found this clip when I was looking for Levon Helm video. Here is Sheryl Crow with Helm and his band performing the Carter Family song "No Depression" 

The Weight

To follow up yesterday's post on the passing of Levon Helm, here are two versions of a classic, "The Weight". 

With Pops and Mavis Staples helping out, from the film The Last Waltz.

A much more recent version of the song recorded at the Ryman Auditorium with John Hiatt

Levon Helm (1940-2012)

A post to mark the passing of Levon Helm. (ABC Obituary) One of the most influential musicians in what has become known as Americana music. Starting out in the 1960's as a singer and drummer with The Band, he battled throat cancer in the 1990's, but came back to win two Grammys in the 2000's with his albums Dirt Farmer and Electric Dirt. I saw him perform at the Ramshead Live a couple years ago, and it was one of the best live shows I have ever seen.

The first video below is from his days with The Band, and the second two are from his more recent solo career.

From the 1978 film The Last Waltz, Helm playing drums and singing lead with the Band—"The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down"



"A Train Robbery"—A song about Jesse James from the album Dirt Farmer



The Springsteen song "Atantlic City"

Springsteen Covers

Today some of my favorite Bruce Springsteen covers.

First, Patty Griffin's version of "Racing in the Streets".



Levon Helm's version of "Atlantic City'. I saw him perform this about two years ago.




Finally, Emmylou Harris' version of "Mansion on the Hill". She recorded this on here 1992 album "At the Ryman">