Colony Woodstock: Brian Mitchell to Preview New Songs
The former piano, organ, keyboard and accordion player for the Levon Helm Band will preview songs from two upcoming record releases.
Brian Mitchell, on keyboards, performing at the Tinker Street Tavern in Woodstock, NY. Photo by John W. Barry
Pianist, keyboard, organ, accordion, harmonica player and vocalist Brian Mitchell has generated a lot of solid musical memories for a lot of people.
Anyone who attended Levon Helm’s Midnight Ramble house concerts surely heard Brian lead Levon and the band in the Dr. John song, “Mardi Gras Day.” This tune was raucous and relentless and featured a highlight that brought the house lights up to reveal smiles on everyone, most notably Levon. This highlight was a Mardi Gras parade by the freight train of a horn section that anchored Levon’s band.
At Levon Helm Studios, the horn players would circle the stage and the section of the crowd located nearest the stage, passing right by Brian at one end of the stage and Levon at the other. Levon LOVED the Mardi Gras parade. And when it concluded with the horn section back on their riser, Brian would bellow into his microphone, ‘HOW ‘BOUT THEM HORNS?!” Levon Helm Studios would explode.
Brian was the only member of the Levon Helm Band whose position on stage allowed him to look directly at the former member of The Band during shows. And this underscored the special relationship, personally and professionally, that these two percussion players shared.
Brian Mitchell performing at the Tinker Street Tavern in Woodstock, NY. Photo by John W. Barry
You can get a heaping helping of the special sort of musical energy that only Brian Mitchell can generate when he sets up shop at the Colony Woodstock, in the Town of Woodstock, NY, tonight, Wednesday, Feb. 19. Show time is 7 p.m. He will be joined by Eric Parker on drums; Carlos Valdez on percussion; Ben Zwerin on bass; Kate Skwire on vocals; Scott Healy on keyboards; and Chris Pasin on trumpet.
The Colony, one of Woodstock’s musical institutions, is in downtown Woodstock, at 22 Rock City Road.
This gig is billed as “Brian Mitchell and Friends” and will feature Brian performing songs off of his two upcoming record releases, “Digging The Roots" and "Songs From Big Blue.”
“ ‘Digging The Roots’ is my exploration of the origins of the music that I play now, paying tribute to some of my heroes, such as Dr John, Leon Russell, Allen Toussaint, Billy Preston and Garth Hudson,” Brian wrote on social media. “ ‘Songs From Big Blue’ are songs that I wrote or rewrote while doing “The Roots” record. They reflect the music I have created since living up in Woodstock, setting up Big Blue Studios, and interacting with the community of great artists in the area, such as Larry Campbell, John Sebastian, Cindy Cashdollar, Jim Weider, Amy Helm, Catherine Russell, Steven Bernstein, Peter Apfelbaum, James Maddock, Shawn Pelton and Scottie Shetler. It's in the final stages of mixing so let's call this a record release preview.”
I like to describe Brian’s musicianship in these terms: I guarantee that you will feel better after listening to Brian perform because, with finesse, nuance and determination, he will recalibrate your spiritual and emotional timing belt. Whether you are speaking with Brian during a set break or listening to him perform, you will find him to be real—VERY real.
I’d like to add that I hate the phrase, “Oh, that guy has played with everybody,” because nobody can play with “everybody.”
But in the general sense, there’s no getting around the fact that Brian has, well, played with everybody, including:
Bruce Springsteen
Bob Dylan
Jackson Browne
Billy Preston
Dolly Parton
B.B. King
Al Green
Rosanne Cash
If you want a sense of how Brian can get a room hopping, check out this video from the Tinker Street Tavern in Bearsville, a Woodstock hamlet. Brian can really generate a buzz and a scene.
See you there.