Live in London

Mavis Staples has announced 'Live in London,' a new live album recorded over two nights at London’s Union Chapel (which she calls “the best place in the world to sing”) and produced by Staples herself. 'Live in London' reveals that the singer retains astonishing power after seventy years as a performer and that while her repertoire continues to expand her philosophy is unchanged since her days in the groundbreaking family group, the Staple Singers. Ironically her last live record—2008’s ‘Hope at the Hideout’—was cut against the background of her fellow Chicagoan Barack Obama’s historic election, while the new album inevitably addresses the horrors of the Donald Trump era. “No Time for Cryin’“ not only connects the timeless gospel image of “motherless children” to the modern-day refugee crisis, it also calls for action, just as Pops Staples and his children did during the Civil Rights movement.

Ten years after her last live record, Live in London feels like a valedictory statement.

AllMusic provides comprehensive music info including reviews and biographies. Get recommendations for new music to listen to, stream or own.

Mavis Staples' career resurgence over the past decade or so might not have been predictable, but by now it feels nearly inevitable.