Newport Folk Festival programmers like to close their lineups on a note of uplift; to send fans to the exits feeling elated and moved. On that front, they couldn't have done much better than the great Mavis Staples, whose titanic career has spanned more than 60 years. From her time in the best-selling gospel family band The Staple Singers through her role in the civil rights movement, she's been a face of change and a voice behind some of the most powerful songs in modern history.
In recent years, Staples has settled into yet another successful act of her career, this time as a decorated solo artist. Her last two albums, You Are Not Alone and last year's One True Vine, were both produced by Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, who preceded her on stage at Newport (and joined her on stage, with his son Spencer). Tweedy plays almost every instrument on One True Vine, and he wrote several of its songs. But Staples owns its spotlight.
Per Newport tradition, her headlining set featured plenty of special guests, and closed with a group singalong — right before she was presented with a birthday cake. Hear Mavis Staples perform as part of the 2014 Newport Folk Festival, recorded live on Sunday, July 27 in Newport, R.I.
Set List
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