By Greg Cahill
In 2005, Larry Campbell, a producer and former guitarist with Bob Dylan, teamed up with Band member Levon Helm in a converted barn on the singer and drummer’s upstate New York farm to direct a series of famous Americana showcases known as the Midnight Ramble.
Campbell, who produced and recorded three Grammy-winning albums with Helm (2007’s Dirt Farmer, 2009’s Electric Dirt, and 2011’s Ramble at the Ryman), was joined by his wife Teresa Williams.
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The Ramble featured an ace band and such guests as Emmylou Harris, Ricky Skaggs, Kris Kristofferson, Joan Osborne, the Rowan Brothers, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Hubert Sumlin, the Black Crowes, and Los Lobos, to name a few.
Helm died in 2012 after a lengthy battle with throat cancer.
On the eve of a free Lincoln Center concert marking the 40th anniversary of the Band’s Last Waltz concert, and featuring members of the Midnight Ramble Band, Acoustic Guitar Sessions asked Campbell and Williams to reminisce about the Rambles, which continue under the stewardship of Helm’s daughter, Amy.
The Last Waltz 40th Anniversary Celebration, on Saturday, Aug. 6, at 7 p.m., is part of Lincoln Center’s AmericanaFest NYC. The free concert will feature Dr. John, Lucinda Williams, Patty Griffin, Buddy Miller, Anderson East, Howard Johnson, and other special guests under the musical direction of Larry Campbell.
