Farm Aid: Jeff Tweedy, Kenny Chesney, Norah Jones, Jason Mraz, Band of Horses, the BoDeans, Amos Lee and Robert Francis join Farm Aid regulars Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews in this long-running benefit for family farmers, noon Saturday at Miller Park in Milwaukee, $39.50 to $97.50; 414-902-4000 or www.tickets.com.
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Mavis Staples performs at 2010 Lollapalooza. (Terrence Antonio James, Tribune)
The story that most fans know about Mavis Staples’ rousing new album, “You Are Not Alone” (Anti), is that the singer recorded it with Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, who produced it and also wrote two songs.
But the most underappreciated aspect of it is that Tweedy didn’t leave his thumbprints all over the session. On the contrary, he not only let Mavis be Mavis, he ensured that she would record the album with her touring band: guitarist Rick Holmstrom, bassist Jeff Turmes and drummer Stephen Hodges.
“All the interviewers want to talk about Tweedy, and I can understand that, but the band is really an important part of this and most write-ups aren’t including that,” Staples says while sitting at a South Loop hotel lounge, with her sister Yvonne at her side. “The first thing Jeff said to me after he saw us play together was, ‘That band is good for you. They leave you space to be yourself.’”
The relationship with Holmstrom began around the time she was recording her 2007 masterpiece, “We’ll Never Turn Back,” with producer-guitarist Ry Cooder in California.
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