Russo with The Midnight Ramble Band. Photo via Levon Helm Studio’s Facebook page

As previously reported, Furthur drummer Joe Russo and Catherine Russell sat in with members of Levon Helm’s band this past weekend. The performance took place at Helm’s Woodstock, NY-area barn during the studio’s regular Midnight Rambles. Emphasizing songs from the Grateful Dead’s catalog, Russo played Helm’s parts with The Midnight Ramble Band (as the Levon Helm Band is now known) while RatDog saxophonist Kenny Brooks sat in during the night.

In addition, Russo’s longtime Benevento-Russo Duo partner Marco Benevento joined in for a stretch of songs. Benevento, who recently relocated to nearby Saugerties, NY, joined in on the evening’s final five songs, including “Friend of the Devil” and “The Weight.” Besides work with their Led Zeppelin tribute project Bustle in Your Hedgerow, Russo and Benevento have only played a few select shows together in the past two years.

In other news, on Wednesday night an all-star cast honored Helm at the 2012 Americana Honors & Award Show. At the end of the performance, which took place at Nashville, TN’s The Ryman, Jim Lauderdale, Sam Bush, Larry Campbell, Emmylou Harris, John Hiatt, Teresa Williams, Bonnie Raitt, Richard Thompson, Amy Helm, Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard and others participated in a sing-along version of “The Weight.”