Levon Helm Makes Charitable Donation with Ramble at the Ryman

By: Staff

Levon Helm Ramble at the Ryman

Levon Helm, legendary singer of The Band, will donate a portion of every Ramble at the Ryman CD or DVD sold to the Americana Music Association, a not for profit group. “They are one of the few outfits that support great music. We gotta help ’em,” Helm said in a statement. This is the first time an artist has played a concert to raise funds for the association and the first time an artist has donated portions of CD/DVD sales to AMA.

Ramble At the Ryman, recorded at Nashville’s legendary Ryman Auditorium, was released May 17th, and it really captures the joy and reverence that Helm’s live shows are known for. Throughout Ramble, the Levon Helm Band tours through Helm’s songbook, playing classic tunes from The Band, songs from Dirt Farmer, his Grammy-winning folk album, and a variety of well-known covers. The release comes three days before Levon Helm Day on May 20th, a holiday established in the House of Representatives by Maurice Hinchey in 2006.

Ramble At the Ryman was recorded right after Dirt Farmer debuted, which won Helm a Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album in 2008 and also helped get Levon on Rolling Stone’s list of The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. He was also recognized that year by the Recording Academy and the Americana Music Association. His follow-up to Dirt Farmer, Electric Dirt also nabbed Helm a Grammy, this time for the Best Americana Album in 2010. It spent six weeks at the top of the Americana Radio chart.

The Ramble At the Ryman is being sold separately as a CD and DVD, and the lineup includes: Levon Helm, Larry Campbell, Amy Helm, Teresa Williams, Brian Mitchell, Erik Lawrence, Clark Gayton, Jay Collins, Steven Bernstein, Paul Ossola, Tony Leone and Sammy Davis.

Track List:

• “Ophelia”
• “Back to Memphis
• “Fannie Mae”
• “Baby Scratch My Back”
• “Evangeline”
• “No Depression in Heaven”
• “Wide River to Cross”
• “Deep Elem Blues”
• “Anna Lee”
• “Rag Mama Rag”
• “Time Out for the Blues”
• “A Train Robbery”
• “The Shape I’m In”
• “Chest Fever”
• “The Weight”