"Chantal Kreviazuk's performance is moving and special, she is a gifted pianist and singer.
Tears of Rage is a complete performance, no overdubs required. It was one example of a performance and recording coming together very easily."
Garth Hudson - The Penguin Eggs Interview
C.G. - bass on Tears of Rage, Million Dollar Bash,
and Moon Struck One,
backing vocals on You Ain't goin Nowhere
Produced by GARTH HUDSON
Mixed by PETER J. MOORE
GARTH HUDSON -
Presents a Canadian Celebration of THE BAND
2010 Sony Music
Tears of Rage - featuring CHANTAL KREVIAZUK
Million Dollar Bash - featuring STEVE LECKIE
You Ain't Goin' Nowhere
photos from shows at Yoshi's in SanFrancisco, and the Kate Wolf festival
reviews
Garth Hudson Ropes in Neil Young, the Sadies, Blue Rodeo
and More for All-Canadian Tribute to the Band
It's been 35 years since the Band staged their classic The Last Waltz, an epic farewell concert filmed by Martin Scorsese that featured guest stars galore. While the group staged a couple of reunions in the '80s and '90s, The Last Waltz was the last time the classic lineup of Robbie Robertson, Garth Hudson, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel and Levon Helm played these songs together. While the deaths of Manuel and Danko — not to mention the solo careers of Helm and Robertson — prevent the Band from reuniting, keyboardist/saxophonist Hudson has taken the time to revisit his past via a collection of newly recorded takes done with some of his pals.
Titled Garth Hudson Presents a Canadian Celebration of the Band, the disc brings together 18 of the Band's greatest hits as interpreted by a host of Canuck-only talent. A press release explains that considering former drummer Helm's American citizenship, this is the first-ever Band collection to feature an all-Canadian cast of musicians. Guests include Neil Young, Blue Rodeo, Hawksley Workman, the Sadies and Bruce Cockburn, among others.
Hudson curated the set, picking both the performers and which songs to tackle, from cuts written when the Band worked with Bob Dylan all the way up to their latter-day albums. Despite the different set of contributors, Hudson believes these reworkings feel just as natural as the originals.
"It was very organic how the artists and songs matched up so perfectly," he said in a statement. "I had aural visions of how each song could be enhanced by the talent of each artist... each voice, instrument, and spirit."
Despite plucking the tracklist from all over the Band's illustrious career, Hudson, who performs keyboards on each cut, explains that there is a synergy between each song that makes the collection magical. It's this connection that has Hudson so excited to showcase his favourite tunes.
"These songs were among the most enjoyable to me while the Band was together because of the words, or the story, or humour... an example of all three is the reading of 'Clothes Line Saga,' written by Bob Dylan and sung by Margo Timmins with Cowboy Junkies," he says. "Each of these songs stands on its own, yet they mystically sequence together as a string of jewels."
Gregory Adams - Exclaim Magazine
Garth Hudson
Strikes Up The Band
with An All-Canadian Line-up!
With the album A Canadian Celebration of The Band, producer Garth Hudson has matched some of his group's classic tunes to an all-Canadian cast of singers.
When The Band’s organist Garth Hudson sat down with younger artists to reinterpret some of his group’s classic tunes, he wasn’t interested in offering any lessons or morsels of hard-earned wisdom.
The Windsor, Ont., native was working with peers such as Neil Young and Bruce Cockburn for the upcoming disc A Canadian Celebration of The Band, as well as younger musicians including Peter Katz, Suzie McNeil and Hawksley Workman.
But while the 73-year-old Hudson has long taught music on the side, he says this wasn’t a time for education.
“When I worked with these folks, there was nothing said about learning — none of that,” Hudson said during an interview Tuesday.
“I was just one of them, if that makes sense. Acting as producer and arranger, (I tried) to give that confidence that you agree with what they’re doing and make as few changes as possible.”
The result is a collection of covers that range from faithful (Raine Maida’s take on the Band’s 1971 tune “The Moon Struck One”) to more adventurous, including two blistering performances from the Sadies.
Hudson wasn’t interested in merely running through The Band’s biggest hits, so the record represents plenty of lesser-known material and ignores some of The Band’s most popular singles, including “The Weight,” “Up on Cripple Creek” and “Don’t Do It.”
Instead, Hudson said he was purely focused was on selecting the right voice for each song.
“Yes, I’ve been thinking about matching song to singer (for a long time),” said Hudson, clad head to toe in black. “The awareness of this is a big part of the producer’s job.
“You have to find songs that exist where there is an affinity. A family link.”As such, Katz turns “Acadian Driftwood” into a spiralling a cappella hymn before allowing the song to settle into a more familiar rhythm, the Cowboy Junkies’ Margo Timmins contributes a smouldering vocal turn on Bob Dylan’s “Clothes Line Saga,” while Blue Rodeo lend the groovy “King Harvest” a more ornate production.
Then there’s Young, who kicks up an imposing racket with the Sadies on a careening “This Wheel’s on Fire.”
Hudson knew Young would be a good fit.
“He had the arrangement and the temperament of the song ready when he came into record,” Hudson recalled.
“It was pretty clear what he would do.”
Nic Patch - Canadian Press
Which of The Band songs were his favourites?
35 Years After "The Last Waltz," Garth Hudson Presents a Canadian Celebration of The Band!
In Stores November 16, 2010
Press Release: TORONTO, Nov. 15 /Canada NewsWire
After 10 studio albums, inductions into the Grammy® Hall of Fame, JUNO Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and 35 years after their epic farewell concert, "The Last Waltz," The Band's Garth Hudson (Keyboards and Saxophone) brings us Garth Hudson Presents A Canadian Celebration of The Band, with partial proceeds to support The Hospital for Sick Children.
In this first ever solely Canadian recording of The Band's songs, original band member Garth Hudson enlisted Canadian musicians Blue Rodeo, Bruce Cockburn, Great Big Sea, Chantal Kreviazuk, Raine Maida, Mary Margaret O'Hara, The Sadies and Neil Young, among others, to create this historic album.
"It was very organic how the artists and songs matched up so perfectly. I had aural visions of how each song could be enhanced by the talent of each artist . each voice, instrument, and spirit." - Garth Hudson
This is the first time any collection of The Band songs has been curated and produced by an original member of the group. Rarities beginning with The Basement Tapes on through latter-day albums Jericho and High on the Hog are again new.
"These songs were among the most enjoyable to me while The Band was together because of the words, or the story, or humour . an example of all three is the reading of "Clothes Line Saga" written by Bob Dylan and sung by Margo Timmins with Cowboy Junkies. Each of these songs stands on its own, yet they mystically sequence together as a string of jewels." - Garth Hudson
Produced and performed by Garth Hudson with Grammy® award-winning co-producer and engineer Peter J. Moore at his side, Garth Hudson and this amazing list of artists answer the question: "Which of The Band songs were your favourites?"
The Band's original ensemble consisted of Canadians Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel, Robbie Robertson, and American Levon Helm from Arkansas. The Band began as The Hawks with Ronnie Hawkins, then Levon & The Hawks, and officially becoming The Band in 1968 and performing together until 1976 . with their last concert documented in the Martin Scorsese film "The Last Waltz." They reunited from 1983-1999. The Band continues to be one of rock's most influential and enduring groups.
Now there are members who have passed and three founding members continue on with their individual lives and projects. Here is one project that is especially personal to one charter member . an intimate project Garth Hudson wanted to share with his country in an all-Canadian celebration of his life in The Band with the songs he enjoyed most.