The Louvin Brothers was a pioneering gospel/country duo in the middle of the 20th century. Shortly after the two ended their musical pairing in the 1960s, Ira Louvin was killed in a car crash. Charlie Louvin has since continued on with an intermittent solo career. After having not recorded for a decade, Louvin returned in 2007, his 80th year on earth, with a self-titled, Grammy-nominated, star-studded album; guests included Elvis Costello, Jeff Tweedy, Will Oldham, and others. Those big names don't return on Steps to Heaven. Instead, the album has Louvin backed by African-American gospel musicians for the first time in his recording career, as well as session musicians Chris Scruggs and Derrick Lee. Steps to Heaven finds Louvin and his collaborators tackling gospel standards like "When the Roll is Called Up Yonder" and a pair of Louvin Brothers originals. The album was produced by Mark Nevers, who has played in Lambchop and worked with Andrew Bird.

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 Artist: http://www.charlielouvinbros.com

Label: http://www.tompkinssq.com