Two of R&B/soul's most loved voices are headed for Celebrity Theater on June 16. Mavis Staples and Dr. John are set to take the rotating stage, and the show ought to be utterly fantastic.
Staples' last record, You Are Not Alone (2010) found the 71 year-old songstress teaming with Wilco songwriter Jeff Tweedy, and the results were tender and warm.
Dr. John has been busy, too. He released Tribal last year, provided keyboards for Gregg Allman's latest, and appeared in the HBO series Treme, which focused on the sights and sounds of John's town New Orleans.
With any luck, the two will share the stage for a few numbers. This clip -- though blurry and distorted -- demonstrates how interesting it is when their two voices mingle.
KEEP PHOENIX NEW TIMES FREE...
Since we started Phoenix New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Phoenix, and we'd like to keep it that way. With local media under siege, it's more important than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" program, allowing us to keep offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food and culture with no paywalls.
Jason P. Woodbury is a music and pop-culture writer based in Phoenix. He is a regular contributor to the music blog Aquarium Drunkard and co-host of the Transmissions podcast.
