https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/a...2&d=1532725892 I hope my image posts!
Heck yeah, those guys are no longer with us. Levon and Rick. I was going to show the image here, but it's too big for the post. Best to access it by clicking your link. It's a great photo of them from many decades back, Levon Helm on mandolin and Rick Danko with acoustic guitar.
ca. 1983 I think.
I'm at the Arlington music camp where Dix Bruce is one of the instructors. He hands out "prizes" for certain things. I found a typo on one of his handouts, so I got a postcard with this picture. He took it in about 1983 (like you said!) and it's actually 3 different pics he combined. The originals had the backs of some guys' heads that had large frizzy hairdos. These guys, after many beers, apparently provided a different type of entertainment.
Better known as The Band, along with Robbie Robertson. Sherry, if you have never seen The Last Waltz, best rock 'n' roll movie ever, remedy that situation this evening!
Here they are in action. No mandolin content, but once in awhile we can forgo that.
Good stuff, Louise. Thanks for sharing!
The backstage interview footage that Martin Scorcese included in The Last Waltz can give you a little introduction to these guys, Sherry. Levon Helm is a beloved force of nature, he was a southerner from the USA, the rest of the members of The Band were Canadians. Levon's southern heritage had a great deal to do with direction their music took. Levon played drums and vocals. After The Band broke up, Rick Danko (bass player, vocals) was one of Levon's best friends and they did tour around together in the 80's. Rick was the first of these guys to die some long time ago, and Levon died of cancer a few years ago. Levon lived around Woodstock, had a studio in his home, and started a thing called 'The Midnight Ramble' at his home - a weekly concert - which continues to this day. In those later years, Mike Campbell played with Levon a great deal. Levon and Mike are two of my favorite musicians! Love those guys.
Why is Levon a force of nature? Listen to him break out in song during this old instructional interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdvcIqC1DJw And here he is as an old man, at the midnight ramble, performing that very song with his band. Mike Campbell is not in this video, but Mike's wife Theresa Williams is on guitar and Levon's daughter Amy is there singing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoMUqWqyTzQ In this video, Levon's vocals are gone (cancer of larynx), he plays mandolin and Mike Campbell (fiddle) and Amy Helm (pregnant) cover the vocals to help him. Joe Russo is on drums. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xLR4Qp0kd4 Sorry for posting so much, but once I start looking at Levon videos I can hardly stop. If you've never heard his Dirt Farmer album, you're missing a treat. His voice was back about 80% when they made that great album, which won a Grammy.
Like minds, Mark - I just put new speakers in my car, and Dirt Farmer is back in rotation - LOUD. It is great driving music. A wonderful record by a great musician.
Leaving today for Ireland, then Scotland. When I return, I'll catch up on these great posts!
safe travel!
