The connections among those three iconic entities run deep: Both the Dead and the Band backed Dylan at various points during his career; both Lesh and Helm play songs Dylan wrote; Lesh routinely performs songs Helm sung with the Band; and, on his latest album, Helm covers the Dead’s “Tennessee Jed.”
When you add session and touring work with Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris, Roseanna Cash, Sheryl Crow and Willie Nelson, it all adds up to one long, strange trip. But for the 55-year-old multi-instrumentalist, the journey’s always had a destination.
“It feels like my entire career, all the great things that happened with it, all the experiences I’ve been allowed to have, was all just a pathway to get to Levon’s barn,” Campbell said. “And growing up, listening to the Band, I respected them so much, but it wasn’t like I was enthralled with what they were doing at the time. But it seems like where I’ve come to as a musician has turned out to be custom-made for what they were doing at the time, and what Levon is all about. I’m doing what I’ve made myself to do, what I’ve made myself into: the person who should be doing exactly what I’m doing right now.”
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What he’s doing — what he’s been doing since 2007 — is revitalizing Helm’s once-dormant career. Instrumental in Helm’s return to recording after throat cancer nearly silenced his soulful Southern drawl in 1998, Campbell assumed the role of producer in Helm’s studio and band leader on the road.
“There’s a trust there,” Campbell said of Helm essentially ceding control. “If he’s got a firm opinion about something, then I try to make that happen [because] usually he’s right. What Levon is is a very specific thing. Although it’s very broad, it’s a very specific thing and if you wander too far from that, he’s going to sense it and maybe not know why he’s sensing it, but he’ll … find a way to get us back to it. And hopefully, I’ve assimilated enough of that skill myself.”
With Helm’s voice now healed, the partnership has resulted in two critically acclaimed albums: the acoustic, rootsy “Dirt Farmer” (2007), and the more diverse, full band-enhanced “Electric Dirt” (2009). These are Helm’s first solo releases in a quarter century, and both were recorded at Levon Helm Studios, a timber-framed barn tucked away in Helm’s 20-acre Woodstock, N.Y., property. Since 2004, the space has doubled as a venue for Helm to host his infamous Midnight Rambles.
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“What’s different is mainly the intimacy because it’s in Levon’s barn and there’s a limited number of folding chairs, [there’s] people standing around and the band is right there in the midst of everything,” Campbell said of the Rambles. “It’s a real good time for us. I’ve been doing this for going on six years now, and I never ever get anything less than enthusiastic about doing it. We all feel that way on stage and that translates directly into the audience. It’s the thing I’ve said many times but it’s true: This thing is solely about making and listening to music. … It’s the same going-to-church vibe.”
Share this articleShareYou also never who may show up: Past guest musicians have included Steely Dan co-founder Donald Fagen, Norah Jones, Bruce Hornsby, the Band’s Garth Hudson and Steve Earle.
Since “Dirt Farmer’s” release, Helm’s also resumed touring, though at age 70, his tours remain short and sparse. He’s joined on the road by the Midnight Ramble band, a big band that includes Campbell; Helm’s daughter Amy; Campbell’s wife, singer-songwriter Teresa Williams; and a horn section.
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Helm’s voice remains fragile. Since surgery there’s a bit more rasp to the iconic tenor behind “The Weight,” “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” and “Up On Cripple Creek,” but his vocals are still unmistakable. Last year, Helm had a lesion removed from his vocal chords that kept him from singing most of the year. He’s since recovered to a point where he’s singing every night, anywhere from two to five songs each show.
“Slowly this year it’s been getting to where he can do one song a night, then he was doing two songs — it’s been a two steps forward, one step back thing, [which is] much better than the other way around, because he has been making progress,” Campbell said.
Helm switches between drums and mandolin during shows, while the band alternates singing duties. The set list usually includes Band classics, old standards and songs from the “Dirt” albums. And with everyone joining in, concerts often resemble the communal, without-a-net Midnight Rambles.
“I get a thrill out of what this band does every time we play,” Campbell said. “It’s become family, really. That’s pretty much the way it is.”
» Wolf Trap’s Filene Center, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna; with John Hiatt & the Combo, Wed., July 21, 7:30 p.m., $25-$45; 877-965-3872.
Photos by Ahron R. Foster; Paul La Raia
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