Visionary singer-songwriter Valerie June has shared a jubilant slice of Memphis soul, “High Note” (Feat. Stax Music Academy). Originally penned by June for Mavis Staples’ 2016 album, Livin’ On A High Note, this previously unreleased version, produced by June and recorded at Stax Music Academy in Memphis, TN, is a joyous tribute to Mavis on her 85th birthday and the musical pioneers that made Memphis soul the enduring, influential force it is today.
Valerie June on the recently released “High Note”:
“It’s full circle in many ways. “High Note” is the song I wrote that Mavis sang and named her record after. To have the students collaborate on a version of it is a story of how Mavis is always lifting up young artists like me and those she’s never even met. Her joy touches us all and keeps us looking toward positive heights. It’s a thank you to her and a love note for her 85 years with us so far.”
Founded in 2000, Stax Music Academy was established to further the legacy of Stax by nurturing the next generation of great Soul Communicators from the greater Soulsville region. An after-school and summer music institute located adjacent to the Stax’s original home in Memphis, TN, (now the Stax Museum of American Soul Music), Stax Music Academy prepares students to excel and impact the world through the universal language of music.
WFPK Song of the Day spotlights a song we love - weekdays at 11:10.
