So sorry to learn of the death today of Levon Helm. The internet is awash with tributes, and quite rightly. I hope to add my own in a couple of days. I also hope we hear from Bob Dylan about it. He has sometimes paid fulsome homage to newly deceased musicians; not all had, in addition to their fine musicianship, as much human decency as Levon Helm.
Sad news indeed. I was lucky enough to attend one of Levon's Midnight Rambles at his home in Woodstock a few years back. It was an unforgetable experience to see and hear him recreating the days of The Band.
ReplyDeleteThere is a brief tribute on bobdylan.com which I assume comes from Bob himself.
Michael
ReplyDeleteGuess you have already seen this:
http://www.jambands.com/news/2012/04/20/bob-dylan-pays-tribute-to-levon-helm
"Whispering Pines"...I know that was Manuel and Robertson's baby (well, mainly Manuel's), but if that call and response between Manuel and Helm doesn't lift a person up to the skies. The song itself is enough to make you weep, even if you hadn't read a newspaper this morning.
ReplyDeleteHe had such a voice...such a voice. It's hard to imagine America without that voice having existed in it. It was that evocative to me. I can't say I've heard much of his recent work, but I considered the world a better place just knowing he was still living and breathing and smiling (yes, and drumming) in it.
Who the blazes are you to pontificate on the decency of musicians (who aren't him)?
ReplyDeleteOne part of one sentence is hardly "pontificating"; and surely it's not so very contentious to say that some people have more human decency than others? Ah, but "Who the blazes...?": I do like that So sweetly old-fashioned.
ReplyDelete