Laurelyn Dossett
listen now children a story I’ll tell …

Hello friends … after a road trip that took me from an Alabama lake week with the extended Dossett family to the swashbuckling pirate shows in Manteo and Cary with the NC Symphony, I am safely ensconced in North Carolina and looking forward to some shows closer to home.

Good things are in the works, read on …

Tuesdays at Lucky 32 Southern Kitchen are going strong! Here are the next few weeks:

• Tuesday, July 19 — Laurelyn with Scott Manring
• Tuesday July 26 –Laurelyn with Scott Manring
• Tuesday August 2 — Molly McGinn

August

Appalachian String Band Festival
I am off to get my annual fix of old-time music at the Appalachian String Band Festival in Clifftop, WV (so much for being safely ensconced in NC).

August 1 – 4
Clifftop, WV

The Best of Our State
Check out this weekend package of performances and presenters at the historic
Carolina Inn for The Best of Our State. I’ll be singing with Scott Manring on Friday night.

August 5-7
Pinehurst, NC

November and “The Gathering”

Much to my delight and wonder, the North Carolina Symphony has commissioned me to write and perform a set of songs for the November 25-26 Holiday Pops concerts.

I have finished the song cycle, called “The Gathering,” and arranger Aaron Grad is finalizing the score for symphony and string band.

Joining me will be Rhiannon Giddens Laffan on vocals and fiddle, Joe Newberry on banjo and vocals, and Mike Compton on mandolin and vocals.

Tickets for these three performances will go on sale August 8.

Recording in the studio

In preparing for the symphony shows, the four of us decided to go ahead and record a string band version of these songs, as well as other original and traditional winter holiday songs.

We record with Joe (“JoeBass”) DeJarnette in August; I’ll keep you posted.

CD or DVD copies

Levon Helm’s Ramble at the Ryman, recently released on cd and dvd, has a great live rendition of “Anna Lee,” a song I wrote for Triad Stage’s Brother Wolf about a hundred years ago. If you are a Levon fan, a music fan, you will love this recording.

It’s on sale here.

I almost dropped my Gibson over this one.

Grayson Currin recently wrote a review of Levon’s new release, “Ramble at the Ryman,” and had this to say about the “Anna Lee” cut off the live album.

Not every bit of Ramble at the Ryman is noteworthy … But the highlights are essential testaments to Helm’s gravelly tenderness as a vocalist, whether on his natural, narrative delivery of “A Train Robbery” or his mix of mourning and hope on this spare, show-stopping version of “Anna Lee.”

Grayson, thank you. If I’ve never swooned before, I am right now. Meantime, I hope you all celebrate Levon’s birthday and buy this recording. He is one of those rare musicians who inspires everyone to be more authentic — as a person and a musician. He just gets better with time. Happy Birthday Levon.

Meantime, I need to stop swooning and pick up this guitar and get back to writing. Does anyone know where I left my feet on the ground?

Ramble at the Ryman is available now on Amazon.com

Vinyl

Live audio CD

.mp3 download

“Ain’t In It For My Health: A Film About Levon Helm”
5 pm, Thursday Jan. 6 at Elon University
McEwen Building Room 011

I heard about the film a while back when Levon’s folks called to ask about using “Anna Lee” in the soundtrack. Since then I’ve been watching Google alerts for any mention of the film and its premiers last year at SXSW, LA Film Festival, and the Copenhagen International Film Festival.

Finally, Thursday night, I’ll get to see the real McCoy, which chronicles Levon’s somewhat reluctant return to the spotlight since releasing the Grammy Winning albums “Dirt Farmer” and “Electric Dirt.” And, according to the film’s Web site, this growing popularity has pulled up some old grief for Levon: the break up of The Band, bankruptcy, and throat cancer.

The film isn’t yet in commercial release, so if you’re a Levon fan, a music fan, or a fan of great film, come on out.

“If you pour some music on whatever’s wrong, it’ll sure help out.” – Levon Helm