New York, NY (Top40 Charts) During the 'This Too Shall Light' sessions, Amy Helm was literally taken 3,000 miles out of her comfort zone - leaving the family studio in Woodstock, New York for Los Angeles' iconic United Recording Studios, the same compound where The
Beach Boys recorded 'Pet Sounds' and "
California Dreamin" was tracked by The
Mamas & The Papas. It was there that Helm began her collaboration with Joe Henry, the three-time GRAMMY-winning producer known for his work with artists like Bonnie Raitt,
Elvis Costello and Lizz Wright. Together, in just four days, the pair traversed decades of material, stretching from early '70s Allen Toussaint through contemporary Americana darlings the Milk Carton Kids. Coupled with originals by Helm and Henry, and a pair of tributes to the singer's late father, the ten-song collection serves as the most complete look at Amy Helm as an artist to date.
Says Helm of the recording sessions: "We just kind of set up, threw our stuff down and started playing without much thought, without much arranging, without much rehearsal and with lots of extra voices. That's what we wanted the record to sound like and feel like. I had a picture of Mavis near my recording station and a picture of my little boys. That was about it."
Among the most personal songs on 'This Too Shall Light' are "The Stones I Throw," a 1965 pre-The Band cut by Levon and the Hawks, and an arrangement of the traditional hymn "Gloryland," which remained a staple of Levon Helm's live sets through his final performances, with Amy playing a large part in his Midnight Ramble Band. Elsewhere, Helm reflects on a childhood hero, the late jazz pianist Blossom Dearie, whose live shows she found to be a transformative experience as a teenager.
Above all else, 'This Too Shall Light' soars with riveting four-part harmonies as Helm displays an effortless chemistry with the vocal trio behind her. The singers are joined by
Texas royalty on guitar with the inclusion of Doyle Bramhall II, and the air-tight rhythm section of Jay Bellerose (Robert Plant,
Allison Krauss) on drums and Jennifer Condos (Ray LaMontagne, Jackson Browne) on bass. 'This Too Shall Light' follows Helm's 2015 solo debut 'Didn't It Rain,' which NPR described as a "glorious, soulful" record that "ushers in a new chapter of Helm's life."
Amy Helm will tour 'This Too Shall Light' through the summer and fall, with a full list of dates below.
TOUR DATES
JUL 1 - American
Music Festival For The Lake - Lake George, NY
JUL 6 - Levon Helm Studios - Woodstock, NY
JUL 7 - Briggs Farm Blues Festival - Nescopeck, PA
JUL 8 - Parker Press Park - Woodbridge, NJ
JUL 13 - Green River Festival - Greenfield, MA
JUL 19 -
Music on the Main - Victor, ID
JUL 20 - Live From The Divide - Bozeman, MT
JUL 21 - KettleHouse Amphitheatre - Bonner, MT
JUL 22 - Pub Station Tap Room - Billings, MT
JUL 25 - Amigos Cantina - Saskatoon, SK
JUL 26 - Aviary - Edmonton, AB
JUL 28 - Calgary Folk
Music Festival - Calgary, AB
JUL 29 - Calgary Folk
Music Festival - Calgary, AB
JUL 31 - Hume Hotel - Nelson, BC
AUG 1 - The
Dream Cafe - Penticton, BC
AUG 2 - The Wise Hall - Vancouver, BC
AUG 30 - Center For The Arts - Crested Butte, CO
AUG 31 - Ophelia's Electric Soapbox - Denver, CO
SEP 1 - Four Corners Folk Festival - Pagosa Springs, CO
SEP 2 - Snowbasin Blues Brews & BBQ - Huntsville, UT
SEP 5 - Mississippi Studios - Portland, OR
SEP 6 - Triple Door- Seattle, WA
SEP 7 - Sisters Folk Festival - Sisters, OR
SEP 8 - Sisters Folk Festival - Sisters, OR
SEP 13 - AmericanaFest - Nashville, TN
SEP 15 - Festival At The Farm - Canton, MA
SEP 16 - Sellersville Theatre 1894 - Sellersville, PA
SEP 26 - City Winery - New York, NY
SEP 27 - Cohoes
Music Hall - Cohoes, NY
SEP 28 - Center For The Arts Of Homer - Homer, NY
SEP 29 - Iron Works - Buffalo, NY
OCT 4 - Kent Stage - Kent, OH
OCT 5 - Otus Supply - Parliament Room - Ferndale, MI
OCT 6 - Park West - Chicago, IL
OCT 7 - The Redstone Room - Davenport, IA
OCT 11 - Old Rook House - Saint Louis, MO
OCT 12 - George's Majestic Lounge - Fayetteville, AR
OCT 13 - Knucklehead's - Kansas City, MO
OCT 18 - 3rd & Lindsley - Nashville, TN
OCT 19 -
Music In the Mill - Hickory, NC
OCT 20 - Tin Pan - Richmond, VA
TRACK LIST
1. This Too Shall Light
2. Odetta
3. Michigan
4. Freedom for the Stallion
5. Mandolin Wind
6. Long Daddy Green
7. The Stones I Throw
8. Heaven's Holding Me
9. River of Love
10. Gloryland
