Alabama Shakes vocalist/guitarist Brittany Howard and her solo band recently stopped by NPR to perform a few songs for the media outlet’s Tiny Desk Concert series.
The Tiny Desk performance came in support of Howard’s recently released debut solo album, Jaime, which arrived on September 20th via ATO Records. Howard recorded Jaime with engineer Shawn Everett and was backed in the studio by Alabama Shakes bassist Zac Cockrell, keyboardist Robert Glasper, and drummer Nate Smith. The new album follows up Alabama Shakes’ 2015 album, Sound and Color, and Howards’ self-titled debut of her side project Thunderbitch, also from 2015.
Howard and her band—comprised of guitarists Alex Chakour and Allen Williams, drummer Nate Smith, bassist Zac Cockrell, keyboardists Lloyd Buchanan and Paul Horton ,along with vocalists Shanay Johnson and Karita Law—performed four Jaime tracks at the Tiny Desk. Brittany and company opened up their Tiny Desk Concert with “Stay High”, the hit single off of the new record, before working through “Georgia”. The star-studded ensemble closed out their performance with takes on “Baby” and “Goat Head”.
As NPR’s Bob Boilen explains,
From the moment Brittany Howard walked into the NPR offices, I could sense her intense commitment and passion. Her eight-piece backing band, all decked out in red and black, played with a soulful subtlety that bolstered Brittany Howard’s tender songs about her family — stories of a mixed-race child growing up in Alabama.
Watch Brittany Howard’s Tiny Desk Concert below:
Brittany Howard – NPR Tiny Desk Concert
Next up for Brittany is a performance at Basel, Switzerland’s Baloise Session on October 29th. Head to Brittany Howard’s website for a full list of her upcoming tour dates, ticketing, and more information.