Don't Lose This

This is a treasure. Recorded a year before the death of Roebuck “Pops” Staples, it's our chance to hear a musical icon’s final work. Shortly before passing in 2000, Pops—the patriarch of The Staple Singers—told his daughter Mavis: “Don’t lose this.” She didn’t. Mavis, who recorded some of her own vocals for this release, enlisted Jeff Tweedy to overdub bass and help with production. Tweedy’s son Spencer plays drums. The result is vintage Pops—the trademark tremolo guitar tone, spine-tingling vocals, and uplifting, socially conscious lyrics. Featuring several originals, two standards, and a live Bob Dylan tune, the entire album is strong; the backstory only adds to its poignancy.