When Mavis Staples and Levon Helm met for some final music

NEW YORK » In the summer of 2011, two American iconic musicians met and jammed up a storm. Very few people heard what they created — until now.

The 12-track live album “Carry Me Home” is the long-awaited record of what happened when Grammy-winning soul and gospel star Mavis Staples visited her good friend Levon Helm, the Grammy-winning drummer and singer of The Band.

“We were very close friends. We were like family,” said Staples, 82. “Every song was just a jewel to me. I just got so full of joy.”

It would be one of Helm’s final recordings before his death, the next year.

Staples and her band spent five or six days with Helm and his band in Woodstock, New York, playing music and telling stories.

Eric Clapton cancels shows after testing positive for COVID

NEW YORK » Eric Clapton, a critic of coronavirus vaccines and pandemic restrictions, has tested positive for COVID-19 and canceled two upcoming European gigs.

Clapton’s upcoming shows in Zurich on Tuesday and Milan on Wednesday will be rescheduled, he announced on his Facebook page and official online site. The 77-year-old rocker tested positive following his concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall on May 8.

“Eric is also anxious to avoid passing on any infection to any of his band, crew, promoters, their staff and of course, the fans,” the statement reads. “He hopes to be able to resume the tour starting with two concerts in Bologna on May 20.

“It is very frustrating that having avoided COVID throughout lockdown and throughout the period when travel restrictions have been in place Eric should have succumbed to COVID at this point in time.”