She Is Not Alone: Mavis Staples Welcomes Norah Jones & Allison Russell At Beacon Theatre

Mavis Staples brought out Norah Jones and Allison Russell for separate guest spots during her sold-out Saturday night concert at The Beacon Theatre. Russell opened the show, while Jones’ appearance was a surprise to fans at the historic venue on New York City’s Upper West Side.

The setlist for the headlining performance featured a mix of Staple Singers classics and standout cuts from Mavis’ solo albums. Among the Staple Singers’ gems were “City In The Sky,” “I’m Just Another Soldier,” “Handwriting On The Hall,” “Respect Yourself” and “Freedom Highway.” Mavis Staples also looked to her 2025 album, Sad and Beautiful World, for a three-song run that began with her cover of Tom Waits’ “Chicago.”

Mavis Staples followed with “Beautiful Strangers,” a take on a song by Kevin Morby that is also featured on Sad and Beautiful World. Next, Allison Russell came out to duet with Mavis Staples on the album’s “Human Mind.” The number was written by Russell and Hozier with Mavis in mind and was previously performed by the pair last November on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. Staples introduced Allison Russell as her “baby sister.”

Norah Jones emerged a few songs later to join Staples for a performance of “You Are Not Alone.” The song is the title track from Mavis’ Grammy-winning 2010 album. Staples noted the record was produced by Jeff Tweedy before dueting with Jones on a song they’ve performed together several times previously. Mavis Staples went on to end the night with The Staple Singers’ 1972 hit “I’ll Take You There.”

Watch fan-shot video of Mavis Staples & Norah Jones’ “You Are Not Alone” collaboration and footage of most of the set (“Human Mind” begins around the 23-minute mark):

Photographer Marc Millman captured footage backstage of Staples performing an impromptu “Amazing Grace” with Jones and Russell in the Beacon’s iconic elevator: