Acoustic Guitar Sessions Presents Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams

After decades of marriage and seven years working closely with Levon Helm—Campbell as bandleader and producer (winning three Grammys for his work) and wife Williams as singer—their eponymous debut together features eight originals and three covers honed at Helm’s legendary Midnight Ramble.

“It was the most pure musical experience I’ve ever had,” Campbell says of their time with Helm. “It gave me the template for how to make music for the rest of my life: no egos, no agenda, no petty stuff. I got inspired to write more songs for Teresa and me to sing.”

Helm himself drums on one track, “You’re Running Wild,” recorded before his passing. Other guests include his daughter Amy Helm singing, and Little Feat keyboardist Bill Payne on piano, augmenting Campbell and Williams’ core band of Justin Guip (drums) and Byron Isaacs (bass).

In addition to Helm, Campbell and Williams have played with a Who’s Who of Music Icons: Bob Dylan (Rolling Stone called Larry’s eight-year tenure “the greatest period of the Never Ending Tour”), Paul Simon, Phil Lesh, Emmylou Harris, Sheryl Crow, Keith Richards, Cyndi Lauper, Hot Tuna and Mavis Staples.

In addition to his Grammy wins with Helm, Campbell has won the Lifetime Achievement Award (2008) and Instrumentalist of the Year Award (2013) from the Americana Music Association.

Campbell and Williams visited the Acoustic Guitar Sessions studio to perform “You’re Running Wild,” “Did You Love Me at All,” and “Samson and Delilah.”

Watch a second Acoustic Guitar Spotlight interview in which the couple reminiscing about their tenure at the Midnight Ramble.