This Saturday Levon Helm will welcome Medeski Martin and Wood to his studio for two separate sold-out installments of his Midnight Ramble series. The musicians will offer a Kids Ramble by day and a more traditional Ramble by night. Looking ahead though, he will depart his Woodstock, New York environs for a handful of shows over the coming months. On February 15 and 16 he will travel to Philadelphia and the Jersey Shore for gigs at the Electric Factory (February 15) and Asbury Park’s Paramount Theater (February 16). Then on March 7 and 8, the Levon Helm Band will return to the Beacon Theatre for two performances. Helm’s recent release Dirt Farmer has been nominated for a Best Traditional Folk Album Grammy.

Members of The Mekons, My Morning Jacket and Bonerama To Play For Sweet Home New Orleans

Yesterday we reported on a pair of Colorado shows with Page McConnell, Russell Batiste, Reed Mathis and Papa Mali to benefit the New Orleans Musicians Clinic and the Tipitina’s Foundation. Prior to then, a NoLa fundraiser will take place a bit closer to home. This Thursday January 10, at the House of Blues Parish Room, a number of musicians will perform a gig to support Sweet Home New Orleans. SHNO ‘provides relocation, housing, and social services to musicians and tradition bearers in need.’ Participants include Bonerama’s Craig Klein, Matt Perrine, Eric Bolivar and Bert Cotton, as well as The Mekons’ Jon Langford and Sally Timms, Patrick Hallahan (My Morning Jacket), Janet Bean (Freakwater, 11th Dream Day) and many others.