Garth Hudson

Il polistrumentista di The Band parla con Raffaele Galli

From the January 2005 issue of the Italian monthly music magazine Buscadero. The interview took place in the summer of 2004. The text is copyrighted, please do not copy or redistribute.

1. In which way have you been involved in the Burrito Deluxe's project? Through Sneeky Pete?

   In 2002,  Tommy Spurlock (producer/singer/songwriter/guitarist) invited me to come to Nashville and record a couple tracks on the first Burrito Deluxe CD.   Georgia Peach.  Tommy and Carlton Moody (lead singer/guitarist) brought Sneaky Pete Kleinow (pedal-steel guitar) out from California with the intent of a new incarnation of the Flying Burrito Brothers.  Georgia Peach is the outcome.  Now in this new aggregation, we have developed our own sound.  I co-produced Burrito Deluxe's latest CD, The Whole Enchalada with Carlton, who flew to Nashville from Paris, France for every phase of the project.

2. Give us , please, a definition of your music as a group.

   I 'm not certain what to call it, so let's say it is alt.country/rock.

3. Who's your leader?

   It is a democracy. Everyone is equal.

4. Which are the most interesting tracks, in your opinion,  of the new album The Last Enchilada?

   Gold is great. Carlton Moody's singing is the real deal and my wife, Maud added vocal backup.  The track, Sister is Pete's instrumental composition. You can hear his playing very well .

5. Do you think you 'll have a future in the country music market?

   I would certainly like to produce more country... and of course add a few keyboards, accordion and sax.

6. Have you ever known Gram Parsons? What do you like most of him?

   I do not recall meeting him. He was a good songwriter.  He has been gone a long time and will always be held close by many people.

7. Which are your five favourite Band tracks?

   Band, you mean THE Band?  All of them... of course.

8. After the death of Rick Danko there are only three original members of the group left. Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm and you. Do you think there will be in the future a chance to have you all play together again? If not in studio maybe on stage?

   There are really only two members of the group left.  You may recall that Robbie Robertson left The Band in 1976.

9. Are you satisfied about the Rhino 4 box set The Last Waltz reelased two years ago ?

   Yes and enjoyed the better sound quality.  The premier in NYC was a nice event. Marty Scorsese and many celebrities filled the Zigfield Theatre.  Dr. John played at the after party.  The Bengali Bauls came along as my entourage and so did Hal Willner and Richard Wall of the Four Walls.

10. Your label have planned a new box set of your stuff. What do you know about this plan? Any live material or dvds?

    I hope it will meet with everyone's high expectations.  There are a few tracks that no one has heard yet.  It should be fun.  There is another project I'm involved with of The Hawks that is almost finished with Other Peoples Music Inc. (OPM Inc.) in Toronto.  Wonderful archival stuff with Mr. Jan Haust and Mr. Peter Moore doing restorations after years of extensive research.  They are both great to work with because they are perfectionists and highly skilled with old and new technology.

11. You are considered a keyboard genius but we all know that you play many other instruments. Which is the one of them you like to use particularly?

    Besides keyboards, I enjoy playing the tenor saxophone and like to use the accordion.

12. Two years ago you recorded your first solo album, The Sea To The North, recently appeared here in Europe through Corazong records. We enjoyed it, but which is your opinion about it, now?

    First, I would like to thank Corazong Records for releasing The Sea To The North in Europe.  Great guys! Mr. Evert Wilbrink is good at what he does and we hope to have a long association with Corazong.

13. Do you think there will be a follow up?

    I am always involved with many projects.  After releasing the new Burrito Deluxe CD, The Whole Enchalada, my wife, Maud and I are releasing our first live duo album, Live in London [retitled LIVE at the WOLF after this interview took place).  It is a recording of our first duo concert performance in London, Ontario, Canada.  We were celebrating the opening of their new city library's Wolf Performance Hall.  We will tour when it is released in Canada this coming October (2004).  This is especially meaningful because we are celebrating our 25th wedding anniverary this year.

14. In the end, two ritual questions of ours: Which are your best five records?

    Best of Spike Jones, Leona Anderson's Music To Suffer By, The Four Freshmen Live, Johnny Hodges with Wild Bill Davis, and Primus.

    And who's your fave musician?

    Me.