It's Jimmie Dale Gilmore on lead vocal. Not sure exactly all Ely was playing here--guitar, harmony vocals, don't know what else.

RIP Joe Ely

...but that was shelved until 1990 after everyone involved had had successful solo careers. Anyways, this is a slightly earlier recording before their debut recordings. That 1990 debut was released as, More A Legend Than A Band, definitely worth tracking down.

Ely had suffered from serious health issues for a while, so this wasn’t a surprise. Still sad, though.

RIP Joe Ely

What a rough week

...Jimmie Dale Gilmore,Willie Nelson, Jo Carol Pierce, Bruce Springsteen, probably others I’m forgetting.

By the aughts, they were all much less present—some had moved away, whatever, they were all performing here less. It was great to have been able to see all the shows I did.

...from the 60s through the 90s. They were all terrific live performers, but oh man, Ely was something else. Just his voice and a guitar could fill a venue, any venue, with sound. When I moved to Austin in 89, they were all active, showing up all over the place. I saw Ely perform with...

The song, one of my all-time favorites, is by Jimmie Dale Gilmore. Ely was part of a group of musicians (in addition to those already mentioned, including Butch Hancock, Jo Carol Pierce, Terry Allen, and I’m sure I’m leaving some out) from Lubbock that bounced around Austin and elsewhere...

I wasn't familiar with him at all, but the album was recommended in the NYTimes new classical releases column. If you like contemporary, large-ensemble jazz, it’s worth checking out.

Incredibly prolific for decades. This track is from the 2012 Jazz Soul Seven album, Impressions of Curtis Mayfield. Upchurch co-produced, arranged, and played guitar on it.