Livin' on a High Note [LP]

by Mavis Staples

Overview

The title of Mavis Staples' fourth studio album for the Anti- label could apply to any given point in the singer's career, but in early 2016 it seemed especially apt. Livin' on a High Note was released the week her version of Blind Lemon Jefferson's "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" won a Grammy -- only her second -- in the category of Best American Roots Performance, and preceded the HBO premiere of the documentary Mavis! by a couple weeks. Staples was in the public consciousness as much as ever and was continuing to move in new directions. While the 2015 EP, Your Good Fortune, was made strictly with Son Little, and the preceding albums saw her work closely with Jeff Tweedy, this one was produced by M. Ward, another seasoned and sympathetic musician previously outside the Staples sphere. Material was sought from a wide-ranging roster of songwriters -- such as Valerie June, Ben Harper, Neko Case, and Merrill Garbus -- some of whom had to do a bit of homework prior to writing. Staples and her backing band, including backing vocalists Donny Gerrard and Vicki Randle, recorded with Ward, who made some lyrical and musical adjustments and otherwise kept the process as simple as possible. Inspired by Pharrell Williams' "Happy," Staples requested joyous material from her collaborators and got it, though it's all more true to her and her family group's past than to '60s pop-soul Motown, both in sound and in lyrical content. There are several standouts, like Benjamin Booker's welcoming opener "Take Us Back" and Nick Cave's consoling "Jesus Lay Down Beside Me." (Imagine Staples being handed a copy of Junkyard.) Ward himself co-wrote two of the more compelling songs. "Dedicated," a soft and contented love song, co-written by Justin Vernon, regards an enduring romance, while the closing number -- the barest song on the album -- incorporates words from Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Drum Major Instinct" sermon. Staples' heart and soul are in it from front to back. Hope, love, and positivity beam through. ~ Andy Kellman

Product Details

Release Date:	04/01/2016
Label:	ANTI
UPC:	0045778744411

Tracks

1. Take Us Back
2. Love and Trust
3. If It¿¿¿s a Light
4. Action
5. High Note
6. Don¿¿¿t Cry
7. Tomorrow
8. Dedicated
9. History Now
10. One Love
11. Jesus Lay Down Beside Me
12. MLK Song

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Mavis Staples   Primary Artist,Vocals
Vicki Randle   Vocals (Background)
Tucker Martine   Tambourine
M. Ward   Organ,Synthesizer,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background),Guitar (12 String Acoustic)
Jeff Turmes   Bass
Stephen Hodges   Drums
Alex Budman   Flute,Sax (Tenor)
Rick Holmstrom   Guitar (Electric)
David Moyer   Sax (Baritone)
Humberto Ruiz   Trombone
Donny Gerrard   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Nathaniel Walcott   Trumpet,Clavinet
Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews   Soloist
Sean Billings   Trumpet

Technical Credits

Aloe Blacc   Composer
Laura Veirs   Composer
Tucker Martine   Mixing
M. Ward   Composer,Producer,Adaptation
Pierre de Reeder   Engineer
Neko Case   Composer
Nick Cave   Composer
Adam Ayan   Mastering
Ben Harper   Composer
Donny Gerrard   Composer
Martin Luther King, Jr.   Composer
Justin Vernon   Composer
Nathaniel Walcott   Horn Arrangements
Mat Lejeune   Engineer
Masaki Koike   Design,Art Direction
Aaron Livingston   Composer
Valerie June   Composer
tUnE-yArDs   Composer
Merrill Garbus   Composer
The Head and the Heart   Composer
Charity Rose Thielen   Composer
Jon Batiste   Composer
Matthew Stephen Ward   Composer
Benjamin Booker   Composer
Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III   Composer
Son Little   Composer
Josh Kvale   Engineer