The Allen Room (Jazz at Lincoln Center – QRO venue review) in the Time Warner Center features a 50’ × 90’ wall of glass (that’s feet, not inches) that has Central Park and the Manhattan skyline as a backdrop; this provides an apt metaphor for an artist like Mavis Staples, who played there on Thursday, February 14th for Lincoln Center’s American Songbook. There are no props, no fancy effects – just her, her band (guitar, bass, and drums), and three backup singers (including her sister Yvonne).

For those not familiar with her, Staples is a legendary gospel singer and civil rights activist who was part of The Staple Singers who were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1999. They were also awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005.

A Mavis Staples show has a lot in common with a Springsteen concert (QRO review); both offer salvation, faith, and hope.

She told that audience that, “We come here and we hope you leave with enough joy and happiness for maybe six months.”

Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy wrote and produced You’re Not Alone, which won the 2011 Grammy for Best Americana album. The title song’s emotional core is:

A broken dream

A broken heart

Isolated and afraid

Open up this is a raid

I’m gonna get it through to you

You’re not alone

Staples is a firecracker, engaging the audience before, during, and after songs. After the first song she talked about being part of the “American Storybook” series. She quickly realized that it she got the title wrong, that it is American Songbook.

She laughed and said:

I mean American Songbook.

Well I’m gonna tell you a story!

We’ve been treated like royalty – I told my sister that we should stay here!

The most joyful song was “I’ll Take You There”, The Staple Singers #1 hit from 1972.

She pointed to a woman and said:

You weren’t even born then girl!

We got some history for you!

We’ve been taking you there for 62 years and we ain’t tired yet.

We want all the voices to take us there.

Is everybody ready?

That was not everybody [laughter]