Candi Staton, Jason Isbell Pay, John Paul White and the Swampers Pay Tribute to Muscle Shoals on ‘Letterman’ [VIDEO]

MUSCLE SHOALS

the Late Show with David Letterman continued it’s support of great music by featuring a special musical performance in honor of the film Muscle Shoals, featuring R&B legend Candi Staton, Jason Isbell, John Paul White (The Civil Wars) and The Swampers (Spooner Oldham, Jimmy Johnson & David Hood).

the ensemble performed “I Ain’t Easy To Love” written by James Leblanc and Angela Hacke, is featured in the Magnolia Pictures film Muscle Shoals, in theaters now & available on iTunes and On Demand.

About the film:

“Located alongside the Tennessee River, Muscle Shoals, Alabama is the unlikely breeding ground for some of America’s most creative and defiant music. Under the spiritual influence of the “Singing River,” as Native Americans called it, the music of Muscle Shoals has helped create some of the most important and resonant songs of all time. At its heart is Rick Hall who founded FAME Studios.

Overcoming crushing poverty and staggering tragedies, Hall brought black and white together in Alabama’s cauldron of racial hostility to create music for the generations. He is responsible for creating the “Muscle Shoals sound” and The Swampers, the house band at FAME that eventually left to start their own successful studio, known as Muscle Shoals Sound. Greg Allman, Bono, Clarence Carter, Mick Jagger, Etta James, Alicia Keys, Keith Richards, Candi Staton, Percy Sledge and others bear witness to Muscle Shoals’ magnetism, mystery and why it remains influential today.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5q4QOnU7kM

Muscle Shoals movie trailer –

Jason Isbell New Album Details

From Billboard.com – Former Drive By Truckers guitarist Jason Isbell will release his solo debut, “Sirens of the Ditch,” July 10 via New West. The 11-track set features guest turns by DBT principals Patterson Hood, Shonna Tucker and Brad Morgan, plus Hood’s father David and Spooner Oldham.

“Sirens of the Ditch” was tracked at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Ala., and Muscle Shoals session musicians will join Isbell on the road this summer, beginning July 9 in a city to be announced. Beforehand, the artist will play warm-up shows June 20 in Little Rock, Ark., June 21 in Memphis and June 22 in Chicago.
You can hear three tracks, “Dress Blues”,”Try” and “Grown” from the new CD on Isbell’s MySpace page. Damn that boys got a voice that can melt butter!

Here is the track list for “Sirens of the Ditch”:

“Brand New Kind of Actress”
“Down in a Hole”
“Try”
“Chicago Promenade”
“Dress Blues”
“Grown”
“Hurricanes and Hand Grenades”
“In a Razor Town”
“Shotgun Wedding”
“The Magician”
“The Devil Is My Running Mate”

“Dress Blues” by Jason Isbell