Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams
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\n\n2-13-2022
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\nLarry Campbell and Teresa Williams \;acclaimed eponymous 2015 debut\, released after seven years of playing in \;Levon Helm&rsquo\;s band &ndash\; and frequent guesting with \;Bob Dylan\, \;Phil Lesh\, \;Little Feat\, \;Jorma Kaukonen \;and \;Jack Casady\, brought to the stage the crackling creative energy of a decades-long offstage union..
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\nA whirlwind of touring and promo followed\, and when the dust cleared\, \;they were \;ready to do it all again. Which brings us to "\;Contraband Love\,"\; their newest and riskier slice of Americana.
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\nLarry\, who produced Contraband Love\, says\, &ldquo\;I wanted this record to be a progression\, bigger than the first one. That&rsquo\;s all I knew. I wanted the songwriting to be deeper\, the arrangements more interesting\, the performances more dynamic. Specifically how to get there\, I didn&rsquo\;t know. I did know the songs were different. The subject matter was darker than anything else I&rsquo\;ve written.&rdquo\; \;&ldquo\;More painful!&rdquo\; Teresa says\, and laughs. \;&ldquo\;Yeah\,&rdquo\; Larry says with a smile. &ldquo\;I&rsquo\;m proud of our debut\, but I felt like the songs were lighter than what I&rsquo\;m capable of doing. As a songwriter\, I aspire to a sense of uniqueness: this is a great song and it could only have been written by me. I want to get there. It&rsquo\;s a journey\, a goal\, a pursuit.
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\nThe seeds for \;the Larry &\; Teresa duet project were unwittingly planted in their courting days\, when Larry and Teresa sang and played with the locals under her great-great grandmother&rsquo\;s Tennessee cedar tree\, the same one under which they married. (These gatherings continue to this day.) Later\, when the duo was song-swapping all night with the band in the back of Bob Dylan&rsquo\;s tour bus\, Dylan&rsquo\;s longtime manager Jeff Kramer told Larry he was crazy not to make hay with what they had as a duo. But their schedules kept the idea on the back burner until 2005\, when Levon Helm called. He&rsquo\;d beaten cancer\, was invigorated as never before\, and was putting together a band for the soon-to-be legendary \;Midnight Rambles \;at his barn-studio in Woodstock\, NY. He wanted some Campbell-Williams mojo to help make the most of his surprise fourth act. This humble beginning &ndash\; playing in a barn on a dirt road &ndash\; inaugurated the greatest musical experience of Larry and Teresa&rsquo\;s lives.
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\nLarry became the unflappable leader of the shape-shifting \;Midnight Ramble Band\, earning \;three Grammys \;for producing Levon&rsquo\;s final three CDs\; Teresa\, as an indispensable band member\, frequently brought the house down. "\;Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams"\; was an extension of that time. They not only bring a lot to the table\, they bring the table itself &ndash\; plus the house\, the still\, the church\, the marriage bed\, the sawdust-covered floor\, and abiding\, unconditional love\, all carried in two voices harmonizing across hills\, hollers\, porches\, and fire escapes. Those close harmonies ride atop music made in a mountain refuge\, far from the madding crowd\, connected to a spirit that lives on in song.
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\n \; \; \; \;VIDEO \;(the making of Contraband Love) \; \; \; \; \;VIDEO 2 \; \; \; \; \;VIDEO 3
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\nIMPORTANT: ALL TICKETED SHOWS AT BULL RUN REQUIRE PROOF OF VACCINATION or PROOF OF NEGATIVE PCR COVID 19 TEST WITHIN 72 HOURS OF PERFORMANCE\, PLUS VALID ID.
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\nLarry Campbell and Teresa Williams \;acclaimed eponymous 2015 debut\, released after seven years of playing in \;Levon Helm&rsquo\;s band &ndash\; and frequent guesting with \;Bob Dylan\, \;Phil Lesh\, \;Little Feat\, \;Jorma Kaukonen \;and \;Jack Casady\, brought to the stage the crackling creative energy of a decades-long offstage union..
\n
\nA whirlwind of touring and promo followed\, and when the dust cleared\, \;they were \;ready to do it all again. Which brings us to "\;Contraband Love\,"\; their newest and riskier slice of Americana.
\n
\nLarry\, who produced Contraband Love\, says\, &ldquo\;I wanted this record to be a progression\, bigger than the first one. That&rsquo\;s all I knew. I wanted the songwriting to be deeper\, the arrangements more interesting\, the performances more dynamic. Specifically how to get there\, I didn&rsquo\;t know. I did know the songs were different. The subject matter was darker than anything else I&rsquo\;ve written.&rdquo\; \;&ldquo\;More painful!&rdquo\; Teresa says\, and laughs. \;&ldquo\;Yeah\,&rdquo\; Larry says with a smile. &ldquo\;I&rsquo\;m proud of our debut\, but I felt like the songs were lighter than what I&rsquo\;m capable of doing. As a songwriter\, I aspire to a sense of uniqueness: this is a great song and it could only have been written by me. I want to get there. It&rsquo\;s a journey\, a goal\, a pursuit.
\n
\nThe seeds for \;the Larry &\; Teresa duet project were unwittingly planted in their courting days\, when Larry and Teresa sang and played with the locals under her great-great grandmother&rsquo\;s Tennessee cedar tree\, the same one under which they married. (These gatherings continue to this day.) Later\, when the duo was song-swapping all night with the band in the back of Bob Dylan&rsquo\;s tour bus\, Dylan&rsquo\;s longtime manager Jeff Kramer told Larry he was crazy not to make hay with what they had as a duo. But their schedules kept the idea on the back burner until 2005\, when Levon Helm called. He&rsquo\;d beaten cancer\, was invigorated as never before\, and was putting together a band for the soon-to-be legendary \;Midnight Rambles \;at his barn-studio in Woodstock\, NY. He wanted some Campbell-Williams mojo to help make the most of his surprise fourth act. This humble beginning &ndash\; playing in a barn on a dirt road &ndash\; inaugurated the greatest musical experience of Larry and Teresa&rsquo\;s lives.
\n
\nLarry became the unflappable leader of the shape-shifting \;Midnight Ramble Band\, earning \;three Grammys \;for producing Levon&rsquo\;s final three CDs\; Teresa\, as an indispensable band member\, frequently brought the house down. "\;Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams"\; was an extension of that time. They not only bring a lot to the table\, they bring the table itself &ndash\; plus the house\, the still\, the church\, the marriage bed\, the sawdust-covered floor\, and abiding\, unconditional love\, all carried in two voices harmonizing across hills\, hollers\, porches\, and fire escapes. Those close harmonies ride atop music made in a mountain refuge\, far from the madding crowd\, connected to a spirit that lives on in song.
\n
\n \; \; \; \;VIDEO \;(the making of Contraband Love) \; \; \; \; \;VIDEO 2 \; \; \; \; \;VIDEO 3
\n
\nIMPORTANT: ALL TICKETED SHOWS AT BULL RUN REQUIRE PROOF OF VACCINATION or PROOF OF NEGATIVE PCR COVID 19 TEST WITHIN 72 HOURS OF PERFORMANCE\, PLUS VALID ID.