I met Gil Scott-Heron relatively late in his career whilst he was recording “I’m New Here” with Richard Russell. We had been commissioned by directors Iain and Jane to capture various film elements that would be used to promote the record. I had no idea what to expect when I first knocked on his door, but an afternoon of banking, frozen ice and red roses certainly trumped anything I could have imagined. Over the course of the project and long after we’d finished, Gil and I had many unforgettable conversations. He was writing his memoirs, and each time I visited, he would hand me a pile of dog-eared pages to read. I was fascinated by his story, and my questioning lead to great discussions about the role of women in shaping his identity and life as African Spirit, amongst other things. The beauty of Gil was that he was not afraid to act on his beliefs. He lived an honest life, true to his values regardless of the opinions of others.

I’ve found that a good friend’s voice continues to echo loudly in your ears long after they have departed. Gil, your voice is all around, in text, in song, in the hearts of those you cared for, those you played music with, and those you shared your life with.

-natalie johns, Dig For Fire

We first heard of Family Band through friends who were heading up state for the weekend to perform on Family Band's Kim Krans and Jonn Ollsin's property. Seems they were staging their own mini festival in the woods. Indeed, in the spirit of their band's name, the event from all accounts embodied a large musical family gathering. It seemed a perfect fit to kick off the first in our secret Neighborhood Sessions on the Lower East Side with Family Band and friends.

As the sun set on a beautiful October evening on the Lower East Side, their music drifted out through the open loft windows and into the night air becoming part of the city's own pulse and hum which in turn became the backing track for the performance. Family Band performed five as yet unreleased songs and chatted about the recordings to come and how the songs came together. In this intimate setting, their 'heavy mellow' sound was nothing short of haunting.

Thanks to Family Band and our partners Audyssey and The L Magazine.

For more in the series, go to theneighborhood.tv

Audyssey + Dig For Fire bring you The Neighborhood Session, a series of intimate live performances and interviews with local musicians.

Video for "It's Hard To Be Humble (When You're From Alabama)" by Phosphorescent from their Dead Oceans release Here's To Taking It Easy. Video directed by Natalie Johns.

For more information on Phosphorescent: deadoceans.com/artist.php?name=phosphorescent

Shot en route to SXSW '08 by George Lyon
Produced by Dig For Fire