But the “big” event on this season’s schedule takes place before the season gets under way when on May 15 the remaining members of the band Big Star take the stage for a fundraiser concert. The group last performed at the Shell in 1974.

“It’s going to be one of those very historic events at the Shell,” Pitts said. “Big Star took their start here in Memphis and of the four studio albums they have done, three of them ended up on Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Albums of all time.”

The band was booked just before the death of singer Alex Chilton in March, but the remaining members decided to go through with the concert in Chilton’s memory.

Almost a dozen guest artists will take turns performing with the band as vocalists including Andy Hummel, a cofounder of Big Star, and local soul diva Susan Marshall.

8. Susan Marshall, Little Red, (Madjack Records)
Given the natural ease with which she sings, it’s easy to take local diva Marshall for granted. Despite her sterling backing work — in service of Cat Power, the Afghan Whigs, and Lucinda Williams — Marshall has built a equally impressive solo catalog, with the long-in-the-making Little Red showcasing her versatility and vocal gifts as a blues mama, soul soother and tear-inducing balladeer.
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Best of Memphis Music: Dickinson’s influence loomed large in 2009 – GoMemphis.com
7. A consummate sidewoman who has sung with Lenny Kravitz, Norah Jones, Cat Power and countless others, Memphis diva Susan Marshall enjoyed her most satisfying solo effort to date with Little Red, an evocative, richly produced update of classic soul.

Fresh off the acoustic Gutter Twins tour, Greg Dulli, will be getting up on stage with us for the final Susan Marshall LA show this coming Friday, July 31, at the Redwood Bar in downtown Los Angeles.

Sunday, July 12 – THE CINEMA BAR – Culver City 8:30PM

Tuesday, July 14 – CAFE 322 – Sierra Madre – 8:30PM

**NEW** Thursday, July 16 – HOUSE OF BLUES/Anaheim – opening for THE ARC ANGELS 8:PM

Saturday, July 18 – Levitt Pavilion (McArthur Park) FREE show w/ Jim Lauderdale 7:30PM

Tuesday, July 21 – HOTEL CAFE – Hollywood – 8:30PM

Friday, July 31 – THE REDWOOD BAR – downtown LA – 9:30PM

July 14 – Cafe 322, Sierra Madre
July 21 – Hotel Cafe, Hollywood
July 31 – Redwood Bar, Los Angeles

From Scott:

I strongly encourage you to come out and see us play, and if there’s advance tickets it might be wise to snap them up. I hope to see some of you in July, and don’t be afraid to come up and say hi.

As if you need an excuse to head out to your local record shop on a Tuesday morning, Susan Marshall’s new album, Little Red, is on sale now.

Little Red was recorded with Jeff Powell (who also has a long history with the Afghan Whigs) and features guest performances by Greg Dulli (on Lou Reed’s “Femme Fatale”), Lucinda Williams (for a duet of “Don’t Let Me Down”) and Al Green’s sideman Teenie Hodges (on “Oh My Soul” ). The album opens with a cover of the Afghan Whigs’ “Going to Town.”

Susan is a frequent Dulli collaborator and performed with the Afghan Whigs on the 1965 album and tour. She recently contributed vocals to the in-progress Twilight Singers album.

→ Buy at Amazon

→ Susan Marshall at Myspace

Her new album, Little Red, will be released on April 28th on Madjack Records and features guest appearances from Greg Dulli, Lucinda Williams, Tennie Hodges and more.

At the suggestion of Don Nix, famed artist, musician and record producer Klaus Voormann traveled to Ardent to do some tracking and mixing for his forthcoming project titled A Sideman’s Journey. Artists and songs selected for the project are all people that Voormann has worked with over the years. Ardent’s own Jason Latshaw engineered the project and Memphis players brought in include Rick Steff/keyboards, Joel Williams/drums, Steve Potts/drums, Susan Marshall/bgv and Jackie Johnson/bgv. Bonnie Bramlett duets with Nix on Mockingbird, David Hood (bass) of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, Kelvin Holly from Little Richard’s band, John Fohl/guitar all added their bit of magic to the project as well.

Tracks recorded here at Ardent include “My Sweet Lord,” “Imagine,” “Mockingbird” and a Voormann original “So Far.” The roster of players that contributed tracks recorded outside of Ardent is impressive, to say the least: Paul McCartney, Ringo Star, Carly Simon, Dr John, and James Keltner, just to name a few.

Don Nix (Stax artist, producer and writer) and Voormann’s friendship goes back to the ’70s. In addition to his voca contributions, Nix helped put the players, studio and engineer together. Initially scheduled to just track several songs here, Voormann decided to complete overdubs and mixing here too.

Proceeds from the record will go to benefit the Lakota Sioux Sacred Wilderness Environment and Health Project. You can read more about the worthy cause at http://lakota-village.de/.

They give a great overview of her career and some hints at the direction of her new solo album, due later this year.