The Last Waltz, arguably the most iconic performance in the history of Rock ‘n’ Roll, recreated in all its glory by Mrs Henry. Forty one years later and Mrs Henry took to the stage at the Belly Up, Solana Beach, San Diego. Not alone, a plethora of friends were just about to join them. What happened next is likely an as epic and defining moment as the original. A task of immeasurable complexity, Mrs Henry pull it off with panache, soul and above all – passion. We play two tracks of the beautifully presented vinyl presentation in today’s show, which will no doubt leave you craving more.
From San Diego, CA comes the straight-up classic rock sounds of Mrs Henry and their latest adventure. A complete reworking of The Band’s “The Last Waltz”. After months of preparation, Mrs Henry pulled off the amazing task with flying colors. With help from Stephen Kaye (Ziggy Marley) to mix it and Joe Bozzi (Neil Young, Joni Mitchell) to master it.
JP’s Music Log
We’ve played Mrs Henry on the show previously and Dan Cervantes himself spoke with us about The Last Waltz. You can hear what he had to say here. We also have another live performance on the show this week as coincidence. The expertly performed Coffee from Tobin’s favourites Sylvan Esso. Speaking of Tobin, he also jostles for position for the “ridiculous band name” crown with Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever. Waxing lyrical as he does, this is his latest instalment of his never-ending love affair with Australia and her music scene. Cue endless playing of Harmony Byrne’s new LP.
…And there’s more
Tobin’s New Music Shot this week expands on Richard’s idea of new music that really is old music. He shines a light a new/re-release from the king of Sudanese Jazz, Sharhabil Ahmed. It is a riot of noise and a great introduction to Habibi Funk. Sticking with jazz in this week’s show, Tobin also brings in a track from Chip Wickham. It’s an odd and somewhat inappropriate title. Finishing off today’s show is another live track pulled from The Last Waltz LP. This time featuring the quite beautiful and jealousy enduringly talented Tina White and Brittany Wallace.
- The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down Mrs Henry
- Coffee (Live) Sylvan Esso
- Talking Straight Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever
- Argos Farfish Sharhabil Ahmed
- Funky Bass Arpadys
- Blue to Red Chip Wikham
- The Weight (The Otay Suite) Mrs Henry feat. Tina White & Brittany Wallace
The Last Waltz as performed by Mrs Henry
Forty one years after the initial event, Mrs Henry took the stage at The Belly Up in San Diego to pay respect to The Last Waltz. “The idea of doing The Last Waltz was brought to us backstage before we were going on to play a show,” said Dan Cervantes. “I immediately knew it was something we had to do. I was completely terrified by the amount of work, planning and rehearsing I was signing myself up for”. “We knew if we didn’t do it, someone else would have,” added Jody Bagley. The band knew if they did it, they would have to do it right. “We all completely understood what that meant in every way,” Cervantes assured.
While some could have simply viewed the undertaking as a tribute, Mrs Henry’s performance was far beyond mere mimicry; it was a full celebration. Much how The Last Waltz featured an array of noteworthy guests to help round out the lineup, Mrs Henry called on the help of friends to do the same. Featuring some of San Diego’s most notable musicians, the performance that took months of preparation was nothing short of magic. In doing so, Mrs Henry didn’t simply perform a tribute to the concert; they truly tapped into the spirit of collaboration that made the original event such a momentous occasion.
Own this legendary performance on wax
Blind Owl Records is proud to present this fantastic performance to you as a 3xLP set. It comes housed in a high quality LP jacket designed by artist Roy G. Biv. Mrs Henry called on the talents of Stephen Kaye (The Growlers, Ziggy Marley) to mix this performance. Joe Bozzi, known for his work with The Last Waltz alumni Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, handles the mastering. They wanted to give this concert the full treatment when it came to it’s release. The result is a high quality experience that gives the listener the feeling as though they are right there in the room with the musicians themselves.
Mrs Henry give thanks to an album and a group of special people in the only way they can, by giving the memorial of youth over to the gala of those that came before, and by doing so, the commemoration of events somehow seems colossal in its endeavour; a true piece of art rediscovered in a different time and with sincerity embedded throughout.
Liverpool Sound & Vision
