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The Band Web Site

News and Updates

Dec.31.2005

  • A Happy New Year to all contributors and visitors to The Band web site!

Dec.30.2005

  • And we have a winner of this year's The Band Christmas Quiz! Congrats to John Stevenson from Oregon, and thanks to Jonathan Katz for providing the sound samples for the quiz.

  • Levon Helm will appear on the TV show ABC Nightline tonight, Friday December 30th, 11:35 EST.

  • The Austin, TX "experimental heavy rock" band Gorch Fock recorded the song "Levon Helm" for their 2003 self-titled album. The track is available from Gorch Fock web page at CD Baby. Proceed at your own risk...

Dec.29.2005

  • [photo]
    63 years ago, on December 29, 1942, Rick Danko was born. He is deeply missed. The music will live forever.

Dec.28.2005

Dec.25.2005

Dec.19.2005

  • The latest issue of the music magazine Mojo has a huge "Best of 2005" section. The Band's A Musical History is the "Reissue Of The Year"!

  • An interview with Robbie Robertson, where he talks about the brown album, is available from the BBC web site.

  • He-hey, the answers to our Christmas Quiz are pouring in after we added the hints yesterday! More than 100 e-mails so far, many with the correct answers. The quiz will stay open until New Years Eve, when the winner of a signed copy of Garth and Maud Hudson's wonderful 2005 live album LIVE at the WOLF will be drawn.

  • "Frosty the Snowman" -- a special Holiday download from Professor Louie & The Crowmatix and Woodstock Records!

Dec.18.2005

  • Looks like our Christmas Quiz this year was a little too difficult, no correct answers so far. We've now added a few hints that should help you. If you already sent us an answer, then please try again after reading the hints. And remember: You may win a copy of Garth and Maud Hudson's wonderful 2005 live album LIVE at the WOLF, signed by Garth and Maud!

  • "Home Is Where the Fans Are " -- review of Levon's last Midnight Ramble from today's New York Times.

Dec.17.2005
[Butch Dener]
Butch Dener

Dec.13.2005

  • Good news: Our friend Butch Dener, former manager for Levon Helm and the Band and a regular contributor to this web site, went through a liver transplant yesterday after a very long wait for a donor. Butch is in now in a recovery unit, and his doctors say the surgery went well. Hope to see you again soon then, Butchie, stay strong!

  • New web server statistics created from the logs for October and November. We have another 10% increase in the traffic this year and now deliever more than 1 Terrabyte(!) of data each month.

Dec.12.2005

  • The prize in our The Band Christmas Quiz has been upgraded: The winner will now receive a copy of Garth and Maud Hudson's wonderful 2005 live album LIVE at the WOLF, signed by Garth and Maud!

  • News from the Levon Helm Studios:

    Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Levon Helm Studios

    [photo]
    Seasons Greetings from Muddy Helm!
    There are a few seats available for the New Year's Eve Ramble with The Levon Helm Band, The Alexis P. Suter Band and special guest "Hipmotism" with Erik Lawrence, Art Baron (former trombonist from Duke Ellington's original band), Rene Hart and Allison Miller.

    The January 14th Ramble will feature Jim Weider & The Honky Tonk Gurus featuring: Randy Ciarlante, Colin Linden, Richard Bell, and Albert Rogers.

    Some great articles and photos from the December 3rd Ramble with Emmylou Harris...

    Need to do some Holliday Shopping?? Check out The Levon Helm Store.

    We would like to thank all of you for your support this year and a special thanks to Levon and Sandy for having us into their home to be part of these history making events.

    See you New Year's Eve at Levon's.

  • Professor "Louie" and The Crowmatix have just added new dates to their performance schedule.

  • Added another Big Pink photo to the Band fans gallery.

Dec.11.2005

Dec.10.2005

Dec.06.2005

Dec.05.2005

Dec.03.2005

Nov.29.2005

Nov.28.2005

Nov.27.2005

Nov.25.2005

  • Ronnie Hawkins, Garth and Maud Hudson, Janis Joplin's guitarist John Till, and others will be playing at a festival in Stratford, Ontario, Canada, in January 2006, according to this news clip from today's London Free Press:
    Friday, November 25, 2005 - The London Free Press

    Hawkins gets gig at Stratford

    Free Press Staff

    [Falstaff, my ass...]
    HAWKINS:
    Falstaff-like.
    Rockabilly raconteur Ronnie Hawkins has always looked and talked like an Arkansas relative of Shakespeare's lovable rogue Falstaff.

    Now, he is playing a truly Shakespearean stage at last. Hawkins and Friends, including ex-Londoner Garth Hudson and his wife, Maud Hudson, and Stratford guitar ace John Till are scheduled to perform at Stratford's Festival Theatre on Jan. 28, 2006, at 8 p.m. More friends, guests from Hawkins' fabled past, are expected to be confirmed soon.

    The Arkansas-born musician first settled in Ontario in 958. Hawkins hired many fine musicians, including Hudson and the rest of The Band, over the years. He now lives on Stoney Lake, north of Peterborough. Hawkins turns 71 on Jan. 10.

    Tickets are $64.50, plus applicable charges, and are available online at www.standingovation.ca. Public sales begins tomorrow at 9 a.m. through the box office at 1-800-567-1600.

    Thanks to Serge Daniloff (who used to play with John Till in the '80s) for sending us the clip.

Nov.24.2005

  • A message from Tommy Spurlock, who appears on the new Rick Danko CD Cryin' Heart Blues:
    To all of the great fans: Thanks for all the great response to the new release "Crying Heart Blues" by Rick Danko. Jan Haust, in Toronto, has given all of us a wonderful surprise in sharing these un-heard treasures by my favorite singer Rick Danko. Knowing and working with Rick was a blessing I will never forget. He had a way about him, that brought out the best in everyone he came in contact with. Rick made sure you felt good about yourself. I believe people should be remembered by their work. Rick no doubt, carried some excess baggage in his life, but as I heard him say many times, he was just a "human".

    Sincere Thanks,
    Tommy Spurlock

Nov.23.2005

  • Garth and Maud Hudson played the Hamilton Music Scene Festival with their new band The Best! on Saturday. They also played one song, "It Makes No Difference," on Sunday at the Festival's Awards Ceremony. Daniel Lanois won several awards at this ceremony. Garth Hudson presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Daniel Lanois, upon accepting the award for Best Instrumental, gave it to Garth with the words "This is Garth Hudson's Award."

  • Added more information (composer credits and track details) and another sound sample ("Java Blues", 950K MPEG-3 file) for the new Rick Danko CD Cryin' Heart Blues. Thanks to Harm Van Sleen and John Donabie for the contributions.

  • "Could that be our Nazareth?", article by Kurt Blumenau about "The Weight" from The Morning Call , with references to Peter Viney's analysis of the song from this web site.

  • There's a new DVD boot out in Japan, with '80s TV appearances by Rick Danko and Levon Helm, titled AIRS: Sound Stage '80 & Midnight Special '80.

Nov.20.2005

Nov.19.2005

Nov.16.2005

  • Garth Hudson plays on one track on the new album Coming To Get You from New York rock band Johnny Society.

Nov.15.2005

Nov.14.2005

Nov.11.2005

Nov.10.2005

Nov.09.2005

Nov.08.2005

Nov.06.2005

Nov.05.2005

Nov.04.2005

  • Some news from our friend Jason Walker down under:
    LAST DRINKS DO LAST WALTZ
    Australian rock band, Jason Walker and the Last Drinks, are holding a Last Waltz tribute show at the Manning Bar at Sydney University on Friday November 25th, to celebrate the 29th anniversary of the final concert of one of the greatest bands that ever took the stage. Tickets $18 if pre-booked through Moshtix. $20 at the door/$15 for students on the night. The Last Drinks will be playing a nearly complete Last Waltz set, with some surprise additions. Expect to hear all your Band favourites, a horn section, the famous guest spots, plus a few more tunes that weren't recorded that night at the Winterland 29 years ago.

Nov.02.2005

  • Woodstock Records has just released the live album The Spirit of Woodstock from Professor "Louie" & The Crowmatix w/the Rock of Ages Horns, with cover versions of songs by The Band, Bob Dylan and other artists.

Nov.01.2005

Oct.31.2005

Oct.30.2005

Oct.29.2005

Oct.28.2005

  • Check out this new (8.7 out of 10.0) review of the new Band box A Musical History, from Pitchfork, a very popular online site that specializes in undergound and indie music. Thanks to Seth Glick for the link.

Oct.26.2005

  • From the Levon Helm Studios newsletter:
    Just a word to let you all know that we've cancelled the December 10, 2005 Ramble, but have re-scheduled it for December 3, 2005. Why? Because EmmyLou Harris is coming to play at that Ramble!!!! Get your reservations in early - this show is going to sell out quickly! Levon and EmmyLou together for the first time in 30 years! Could Evangeline be on the song list? We're all hoping.

Oct.24.2005

Oct.23.2005

  • New photos of Garth Hudson in Ontario, 2003.

  • An interesting update from our friend Harm Van Sleen in Holland:
    "Just read a Dutch OOR-interview with Robbie Robertson promoting A Musical History. Actually it's quite interesting. One of the questions is whether there was any Levon Helm participation in this project, and apparently there is. Robbie called Levon to check details on many recordings, because according to Robbie, Levon's memory is the most reliable."
    We hope to have an English translation of this interview available for you soon.

Oct.22.2005

  • From garthhudson.com:
    Garth and Maud are pleased to announce the name of their band: "THE BEST!" A core group of seven and a full group of 12... Melding elements of jazz, rock 'n' roll, blues, gospel, folk, and world music. Those joining the Hudsons at the Hamilton Music Scene Festival on November 19th are: Mark Dzuiba, Marty Ballou, Ernie Colon, Steve Elson, and Erin Hill.

  • From the 5-star review of the new The Band box set in Rolling Stone:
    "......Robbie Robertson, of course was the group's lead guitartist and primary songwriter, but this set makes vividly clear what an extraordinary ensemble the Band were. As musicians and vocalists drummer Levon Helm, pianist Richard Manuel and bassist Rick Danko were somehow able both to evoke highly distinctive moods and characters and to disappear into these songs' meticulous arrangements. Organist Garth Hudson is a constant wonder, a never-ending font of jaw-dropping musical ideas. "Genetic Method," his lengthy introduction to "Chest Fever" is only his most obvious moment of mastery."
    Read the whole review here.

  • Added a 2005 photo of Band fan Ed Orso on stage, doing his "Danko in '71" impersonation.

Oct.19.2005

  • Books and videos from Ralph J. Gleason -- the world's first syndicated jazz columnist; critic, Grammy-nominated liner note author, interviewer, television and Emmy-nominated documentary producer -- are now available from the Jazz Casual web site. Gleason's work include some brilliant articles on The Band concerts and albums, see e.g. his 1969 review of their first concert as The Band. Upcoming Gleason releases include the DVD Bob Dylan -- A Poet's Press Conference (Eagle Rock, 2006), with never-published liner notes to the legendary, never-released 1960's Dylan live LP.

  • John Niven's novel 33 1/3 -- Music from Big Pink, with a plot that revolves around the 1967 Woodstock music scene and the making of The Band's debut album, will be released on October 30th. I just received a pre-print of the book from the author -- fascinating reading for us die-hard Band fans. Available for pre-order from amazon.com

  • Capitol Records' official web site for the new Band box set A Musical History can be found at thebandmusic.net, a nice, Flash-based site with loads of sound samples, purchase links and more.

Oct.18.2005

  • New, good quality video of "One Too Many Mornings" from Dylan and the Hawks' Tour '66 available from aol.com (with an annoying AmEx ad first). Looks like this one is for M$-Windows users only. You can also watch "Subterranian Homesick Blues", with Robertson and Ginsberg in the background, from the same site (click link to the right of the video window). Thanks to Jonathan Katz for the links.

Oct.17.2005

Oct.14.2005

Oct.13.2005

Oct.11.2005

Oct.09.2005

Oct.07.2005

  • Robbie Robertson will be the guest of Danny Marks, host of "BLUZ-FM" on JAZZ.FM91 Toronto, Saturday, October 8, 2005. The show runs from 8:00 p.m. to midnight (Eastern Daylight Time).

Oct.06.2005

  • The Canadian entertainment show eTalk Daily is airing a segment tomorrow, Friday October 7th, featuring Robbie Robertson. On CTV at 7pm ET.

Oct.04.2005

Oct.02.2005

Oct.01.2005

Sep.30.2005

  • Garth and Maud Hudson are now posting personal messages at garthandmaud.com from their "Garth Rotlings" and "Maud Whispers & Wails" pages. You may also email Garth a music question or email Maud to share something interesting or personal -- and it might show up on their site later...

  • The Levon Helm Band are playing at the The Peabody Little Rock ballroom, located in the hotel at Three Statehouse Plaza in downtown Little Rock, AR, tomorrow, Saturday October 1st. See porterjones.com for details.

  • Photos of Levon Helm and other artists from the 09.24.2005 Midnight Ramble in Levon Helm Studios, Woodstock, NY are now available from levonhelm.com. The photos are presented as a slide show that requires a Java-enabled web browser.

  • We've received many reports from users about slow web server response lately. The problems seem to be caused by heavy traffic, in particular long-lasting audio and video downloads from The Band site and the hessdalen.org site (the real X-files) -- the two sites share the same discs. Our Linux wiz, Victor, has been tuning the server for a few days, and things seem to have improved. Notify us if the problems pop up again. Thanks.

Sep.29.2005

  • All the new, wonderful CDs from Rick Danko, Richard Manuel and Garth and Maud Hudson can now be ordered directly from Other Peoples Music, at a better price than you get from Amazon et al. And, OPM will send along a free double disc blues sampler as a gift, with the purchase of any 2 or more CDs from their site.

  • Other Peoples Music now have few song samples available from the new Rick Danko CD Cryin' Heart Blues!

  • Added scans of the insert in the new band box set, promoting the Band-related CDs from Other Peoples Music. Thanks to Jan Haust for sending us these.

  • New photo of Robbie signing The Band box set A Musical History at a book store in California on Tuesday. Contributed by John Scheele.

Sep.27.2005

Sep.26.2005

Sep.25.2005

Sep.24.2005

Sep.21.2005

Sep.20.2005

Sep.19.2005

Sep.17.2005

Sep.16.2005

  • News from garthhudson.com:

  • The Levon Helm Band will be playing in Little Rock, AR, on Saturday, October 1, 2005. See porterjones.com for details.

  • "Burrito Grande" -- December 2004 Garth Hudson bio/interview from The San Diego Union Tribune.

  • Added a photo of Paolo Vites with Rick Danko in Italy, 1994 to the Band fans photo gallery.

  • Interesting entry in the new "Band guestbook" yesterday, from Canadian music expert Jan Haust:

    22320) Thursday, September 15, 2005 06:43 PM IP: 64.229.172.159

    Jan Haust

    From: Toronto

    HOGTOWN, HAWKS,..... & DYLAN.

    Let us not forget that 40 years ago today, Sept.15, 1965, Bob Dylan jetted into Hogtown by private plane to begin 3 days of rehearsals with LEVON & The HAWKS at the Friars Tavern on Yonge Street for the forthcoming World Tour.

    In case Brian of Woodstock, Keeper of the Contracts, hasn't already printed a copy on this site, the details of the Hawks' engagement that week were:

    "Under the leadership of: Levon Helm ( The Hawks )"
    "Date of Employment: One week commencing September 13th,1965"
    "Hours of employment: Monday - Friday 8:30 pm - 1 am
    Saturday- 3 - 5 pm & 8 - 11:30 pm"
    "Type of engagement: Lounge"
    "Price agreed upon: $1250.00 weekly, plus E. P. W. Pension of $39.21"
    "Less 10% to Harold Kudlets Agency, Suite 824-825 Sheraton-Connaught Hotel, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada"
    confirmed by telegram & signed on behalf of Levon Helm by Harold Kudlets.

    The date of the original contract was September 9th. This was the time, between leaving Tony Mart's Club and arriving in Toronto,that they went to New York City to record " The Stones I Throw / He Don't Love You " single for Atco.Hence the " confirmed by telegram ".( Rob Bowlman, the Grammy Award winning liner notes writer has always officially maintained in his articles & liner notes for years that this single was produced by Henry Glover( ! ? ). Perhaps he finally read the production credits on the single's label which have always read: Supervised by Eddie Heller, as the liner notes of the Box Set now have the correct credit. One comparison listen between Glover's production on the Hawks' Canadian Squires 45 & Heller's Atco single, recorded within 8 months of each other, might have confirmed it to begin with. Is Mr. Bowman beginning to pay attention to historic detail? We wonder...)

    The Hawks even found time to take Bob up Yonge Street to Lou Myles, tailor to the stars, to have him fitted for one of their classic Herringbone suits.

    Later, on November 14th, Bob Dylan, sporting the new Herringbone, with Levon and the Hawks, returned to Hogtown to play down the street at Massey Hall. The Toronto Star reviewer wrote : " Dylan, once a purist, folk poet of America, was now electronically hooked up with a 3RD RATE YONGE STREET ROCK 'N' ROLL BAND "! Levon quit the combo a couple of weeks later.... Brian of Woodstock, do we know the whereabouts of that reviewer today?

Sep.15.2005

  • Our friends at levonhelm.com have published some good photos of Levon Helm and the other artists that performed at the 09.10.2005 Midnight Ramble in Levon Helm Studios, Woodstock, NY. The photos are presented as a slide show that requires a Java-enabled web browser.

Sep.14.2005

  • I was born in the rain by Lake Ponchartrain
    Underneath the Louisiana Moon
    And I don't mind the strain of a hurricane
    They come around every June
    High black water, a devils daughter
    She's hard and she's cold, and she's mean
    But nobody's taught her that it takes a lot of water
    To wash away New Orleans
    -- "Hurricane", from American Son, Levon Helm, 1980

Sep.11.2005

  • Joe Lore sent us a couple of photos from last night's Midnight Ramble at Levon's, and has also posted a review of the gig. Thanks, Big Joe.

Sep.10.2005

Sep.09.2005

  • Added cover art for the new boxed set A Musical History.

  • Bobby Charles is back with a new, great album, Last Train to Memphis, with some exceptional playing by Sonny Landreth, Geoff Muldaur, Pat Breaux, and Rufus Thibodeaux, among others. Charles' title song also appears on The Band's final album Jubilation, with a few extra verses written by Levon Helm. For more about the new album and Charles' connections to The Band, see the October 2004 cover story from the Gambit Weekly or listen to this cool interview with Bobby Charles from Weekend America. Thanks to Jonathan Katz for updating us on Bobby Charles.

Sep.08.2005

Sep.06.2005

Sep.04.2005

Sep.03.2005

  • The latest issue of BigO magazine has The Band on the cover, and an article about The Band's "lost" album Tombstone, recorded for Sony with Jules Shear in 1990/91, but never released. This article is also available on-line, complete with "cover art" and full-length MPEG-3 files (!) with all 10 "album tracks".

Sep.02.2005

  • From levonhelm.com
    • The Muddy Waters Band will be appearing at the September 10, Midnight Ramble -- don't miss this one!
    • The Jonah Smith Band will be appearing at the October 8, Midnight Ramble
    • James Cotton(!) will be appearing at the November 26, Midnight Ramble

  • "'Fats' Domino Found in New Orleans".

Sep.01.2005

Aug.31.2005

Aug.29.2005

  • Eric Clapton's new album Back Home was released today. From the cover notes:
    "This album is dedicated to the memory of Syreeta Wright, Phillipe Wynn, Rick Danko, Ray Charles and Richard Manuel. They made music that I grew up listening to and loved, and they were my teachers. They were great teachers, because they didn't know they were teaching, they were just doing the next right thing. They taught with love and by example, without prejudice or guile, simply by being true to themselves. The music they made guided me through this life, providing me with all the principles that I needed to be happy and free. First they taught me to listen, then to love to listen, and then with all humility, to try and provide with love and care, music that was safe and for others to listen to."

Aug.28.2005

Aug.27.2005

  • The concert video Let It Rock from Ronnie Hawkins 60th birthday gig in 1995, featuring Rick, Levon and Garth, is now available on DVD.

Aug.23.2005

Aug.22.2005

  • Added the new album Live on Great Jones Vol. 1 from Jimmy Vivino's band Steaks & Chops to the list of cover versions of Band songs. The CD contains covers of The Band's "We Can Talk" (the first officially released cover version of this song?) and "Tears of Rage."

  • From today's Levon Helm Studios newsletter:
    • We should begin shipping "The Midnight Ramble Volume II" by the end of next week. Please keep in mind, pre-orders will be shipped first.
    • Have a look at the award winning film Levon narrated for NASA TV, "John Young All American Astronaut".
    • There are a few seats available for the August 27 Ramble. Log on and request your invitation today. This show will include The Levon Helm Band with Little Sammy Davis, Ollabelle, Alexis P Suter.
    • Don't miss the September 10 Ramble. Log on and request your invitation today. This show will include The Levon Helm Band w/ Little Sammy Davis, Ollabelle, The Muddy Waters Band w/ Pinetop Perkins, Bob Margolin, Luther Johnson, Jerry Portnoy, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith. This one is sure to be a classic...

Aug.21.2005

  • The live recording of Levon and Dylan doing "The Weight," posted here yesterday, was recorded on May 29, 1988, at the Lone Star Cafe in New York. It is available on the bootleg Crossing the Great Divide. Thanks to everyone who responded to our request for information.

  • New concert dates for the Jim Weider Band..

  • Jim Weider has a featured artist page on the Vox Amps website, with sound clips from the Percolator CD, using the Vox Tone Lab.

Aug.20.2005

Aug.19.2005

Aug.12.2005

  • Check out the items up for auction on Butch Dener's website. The money is going to help with medical costs being incurred in connection with Butch's liver transplant.

Aug.07.2005

Aug.06.2005

  • Bob Dylan's 1965 single "Like a Rolling Stone" has topped a poll of rock and film stars to find the music, movies, TV shows and books that changed the world. Dylan's song beat Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel" into second place in the survey for Uncut magazine. The Band's Music from Big Pink is at no. 30, with the following comments from Richard Thompson:

    Richard Thompson on The Band - Music from Big Pink 1968

    Ex-Faiport folk-rocker wanted to join the group that cut this great Americana milestone.

    Big Pink came as a bit of a shock back in 1968. It seemed to vault over the zeitgeist, back to purer roots, a kind of counterculturecounterculture. The psychedelic bands were playing bits of blues and country, but The Band seemed to have real authority and a perfect synthesis of Americana styles. And they wore suits! And they had short haircuts! They had a profound, long-lasting effect on the groups around the London scene, and everybody was trying to play that slow 4/4 groove as featured on "The Weight".

    I think The Band must have invented that feel. I can't really see a direct precedent, but it was the perfect antidote to hippie excess and sloppiness. Those boys certainly knew how to play on the back of the beat. What a rhythm section, Danko and Helm - not many their equal in popular music; Garth the mad professor on keyboards, great guitar from Robbie, three superb singers.... what else do you need?

    I suppose the other surprise was that the album didn't sound much like the guys who back Dylan on the '66 tour, where tempos were up, and playing was intense.

    I loved the songwriting style, which seemed to have roots all over the place, but which was distinctive, and often seemed based on common band experience, so that whoever was chiming in on vocals would know quite a bit about the subject matter. "Tears of Rage" is still one of the great Dylan covers, and it remains a definitive version. The next album, The Band (1969), is a better record overall, but for shock value, Music from Big Pink has to be one of the most important records in music history.

    --Richard Thompson, Uncut, August 2005

    Thanks to Harley from Scotland for posting Thompson's article in the new "Band guestbook".

Aug.05.2005

Aug.04.2005

  • The Experience Music Project in Seattle has announced that Robbie Robertson and Al Kooper will be part of a special Bob Dylan weekend this fall, date and venue TBA. Thanks to Dave in Tacoma for the info.

  • New concert dates for the Jim Weider Band..

  • The Band web site was moved to a new and much faster server (freja.hiof.no) with eons of disc space today. The address is the same (theband.hiof.no), but it is now mapped to another IP address -- this may confuse your web browser for a little while, until the IP change has been propagated throughout the internet. Everything at the site should work as usual. Happy browsing.

Aug.03.2005

Aug.02.2005

Aug.01.2005

  • The Pixies' Frank Black is teaming up with Levon Helm and other veteran musicians for his next solo album, according to an article in the Los Angeles Times.

  • Richard Manuel and The Band's great version of "Georgia on My Mind" is included on Inspired by Genius..., a new compilation of Ray Charles covers.

Jul.31.2005

Jul.22.2005

  • The Band web site crew are taking another week off, this time in Stockholm, Sweden. No updates until next Sunday, then. Surstromming och nubbe, here we come.

  • Garth Hudson guests on a great, new album titled Rebecca Drive, from Sweden's Willy Clay Band.

  • New photos from Levon Helm's 06.25.2005 Midnight Ramble available at levonhelm.com.

Jul.21.2005

  • Levon Helm Studios are announcing the release of a historic live album starring Levon Helm and the RCO All-Stars recorded live at the Palladium in New York City on New Years Eve 1977/1978. The album features over one hour of live tracks by a star studded cast of musicians playing to the excitement of a New Years Eve crowd in the greatest city in the world. This classic collection of American music features Levon Helm (drums/vocals), Dr. John (keys/vocals), Paul Butterfield (harmonica/vocals), Fred Carter (guitar/vocals), Donald "Duck" Dunn (bass), Steve Cropper (guitar), Lou Marini (saxophones), Howard Johnson (tuba/baritone sax), Tom "Bones" Malone (trombone) and Alan Rubin (trumpet). More details here.

  • Levon Helm is appearing as an old blind man living in a shack in the desert in Tommy Lee Jones' new movie, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada. The film is getting rave reviews and recently scored Cannes Film Festival awards. See the movie trailer at levonhelm.com.

  • A Musical History, the new 5-CD+DVD The Band boxed set from Capitol/EMI, will be released in September. Read more here.

  • Robbie Robertson is voicing a new video ad promoting Toronto, Canada. Thanks to John Donabie for the link.

  • New concert dates for the Jim Weider Band..

  • New, great interview with Jim Weider in Modern Guitar Magazine,

  • The Jim Weider Band, April 28th, 2005, Revolution Hall, Troy, NY: Check out this audience recording and review.

Jul.06.2005

  • We're spending the next two weeks in the UK, first lovely Somerset, then the Brighton hip-hop festival and a weekend in London. This web site will probably not be updated or maintained until the end of July.

Jul.05.2005

  • Garth Hudson and Tommy Spurlock will be interviewed by Jody Denberg at 3:00 pm tomorrow, Wednesday July 6th, on KGSR 107.1 FM Radio Austin. Garth will also do an on-air performance. Listen live at kgsr.com.

  • Happy birthday, Robbie Robertson!

Jul.04.2005

Jul.02.2005

  • New concert dates for the Jim Weider Band..

  • From levonhelm.com:

    Levon Helm Studios is pleased to announce "Midnight Rambles On Demand"

    If you missed a live Midnight Ramble or the PPV WebCast you can now view it from our site at a time that's convenient for you 24/7.

    Starting July 1st you can order streaming videos of the Midnight Rambles and other events. To kick off this new service we will be presenting the May 25th, 05 Ramble.

    The Levon Helm Band, starring Little Sammy Davis with Erik Lawrence on sax and Steven Bernstein on trumpet, Larry Campbell, Mike Merritt, Jimmy Vivino and Brian Mitchell on piano. The Bennett Brothers with Alexis P Suter. Deep Singh. The Apple Pickers Union. 5 hours 7 minutes.

    Follow this link to order.

    If you would like to attend a Live Midnight Ramble at Levon's Studio in Woodstock NY, there are a few seats available for the July 16th show....

    Thanks and see you at the next Ramble!!

Jul.01.2005

  • Here's a little review of Garth and Maud Hudson's concert in New York this Wednesday, from the new "Band guestbook":
    There were certainly some left-hand (not to mention right-hand and both feet) fireworks on display at Wednesday's Garth Hudson on the Hudson show at Stuyvesant High School. I was grateful for the weather-related venue change since there's always a lot to take in at a Garth show and I find it easier to concentrate in a theater than out in the open.

    Garth and Maud's show was indeed magnificent, certainly among the best I've seen them perform. The first half-hour was an all-Garth extravaganza on grand piano, digital piano, organ and synthesizer. A highlight for me was a medley of Dvorak's "Going Home" (Largo) with Garth's own "French Girls" (which has evolved substantially since it originally appeared as the last song on The Band's final album). Garth also surprised us with an uncharacteristically straight version (relatively speaking) of Ellington's classic, "All Too Soon."

    Garth was then joined by his "musical conspirators": Paul Rigby, guitar; Marty Richards, drums; Marty Ballou, bass; and Ernie Colon, percussion, plus Lenny Pickett and Steve Elson on reeds and Earl Gardner on trumpet, for a few inspired instrumentals including an incredible version of "Concert Hora." They are all great players and each knew how to follow Garth's lead.

    Then it was Maud's turn to make her entrance. She enchanted the audience and didn't lift her spell over us until the lights came up. She got the house rocking with the Dixie Hummingbirds. "When I Go Away" and her rousing original, "You'll Be Thinkin'," and all the players were having a blast. Between songs Maud was encouraging Garth to sing and he described to the audience what happened when he sang during one of his first performances as a youngster, and why he has, for the most part, since left the singing to others. I won't give away the punchline... or Maud's whole setlist, but I'll just say that it ran the full range of styles and emotions, something few singers can accomplish.

    The final additions to the ensemble were the beautiful and talented (sorry, but it's true) harpist extraordinaire Erin Hill, and Argentinean singer, composer and author Tangoman, also known as Jorge Heilpern, on classical guitar and vocal, for the (surprise!) Latin part of the show. People in the audience were clapping with the tango beat and I half expected the auditorium to erupt in a frenzy of forbidden dances and tropical fervor at any moment. The show proper closed with Maud's uniquely soulful version of "The Weight," after which the gentleman who booked the show explained that the evening's event started with Garth's appearances with the Dixie Hummingbirds and Wilco at the Newport Folk Festival. I, for one, am thankful for the serendipity, and to the River to River Festival.

    It's always a treat to see and hear Garth and Maud, and it was great to chat (short for chew fat?) in-person with Dave and Chris Zuck (who were none the worse for wear) plus Maud's nephew, Drew; her newest fan, Heidi Hall; and the smiling man behind the scenes, Jan Haust.

    Yep, it was one for the books. What books, you ask? Well, the Hudsons are full of surprises.

    --Richard Wall

Jun.28.2005

Jun.27.2005

Jun.25.2005

  • He-hey! The new websites for Garth and Maud Hudson, garthhudson.com and garthandmaud.com, are up and running! Best of luck, Garth and Maud, from everyone here at The Band web site.

Jun.23.2005

Jun.22.2005

  • Added a page for the new various-artists album Into the West, featuring Robbie Robertson.

Jun.21.2005

  • A message from Maud Hudson regarding Garth and Maud's concert in NY on Wednesday, June 29, 7:00 - 8:30pm, Nelson A. Rockefeller Park:
    GARTH HUDSON On The HUDSON full line up:

    • GARTH HUDSON on Grand Piano, Keyboards, Organ, Tenor and Soprano Saxophones, Accordion, and whatever else he wants!
    • Maud Hudson - Vocals
    • Tangoman - Vocals/Guitar
    • Paul Rigby - Guitar
    • Marty Ballou - Bass
    • Marty Richards - Drums
    • Ernie Colon - Drums/Percussion
    • Lenny Pickett - Tenor Saxophone/Clarinet/Flute
    • Steve Elson - Baritone Saxophone/Clarinet/Flute
    • Earl Gardner - Trumpet/Flügelhorn
    • Erin Hill - Harp
    • Neko Case is unable to join us as planned because her recording schedule was changed to meet deadlines. We'll miss her and look forward to her new CD when it is released. Garth recorded piano, organ, and accordion on it. Neko's guitarist Paul Rigby is still joining us much to our delight.
    --Maud
    For more information about this event, see hudsonriverfestival.com.

  • A great streaming video of Levon singing at a Midnight Ramble this year is now available from levonhelm.com. This video is provided as a bandwidth test for fans who want to order the Midnight Ramble pay-per-view live web cast. The stream comes across clear and beautiful here in Europe -- then again we have a bandwidth of 1 Gigabit per second at the location of The Band web site....

  • Added five more 1969/1970 articles: Thanks to Steven Knowlton for archive scans, Jonathan Katz for OCR-scanning and Edward Pirozzi for typing the articles.

Jun.20.2005

  • Garth and Maud Free Concert Next Week in NY
    "Garth Hudson on the Hudson + Vocals by Maud
    Wednesday, June 29, 7:00 - 8:30pm, Nelson A. Rockefeller Park
    A prodigiously talented multi-instrumentalist and virtuoso keyboard player, Garth Hudson provided lush and innovative accompaniment to the music of The Band. For this remarkable showcase of jazz, rock and everything in between, he plays ringleader to a troop of important and seasoned musicians like Lenny Pickett, Arti Dixson, Marty Ballou and Tangoman, along with the new breed of musical savants like Neko Case and Paul Rigby."
    For more information, visit rivertorivernyc.org, hudsonriverfestival.com or call 212-945-0505.

  • "The Band: Islands" -- positive 1977 review of Islands from ZigZag magazine. Contributed by Bob Wigo.

  • Some news from our friend Dave:
    RONNIE HAWKINS has come out of semi-retirement.

    He played the Starlight Club in downtown Waterloo, Ontario on Saturday night. It was an early show with 7 pm start. Two sets, both were magnificent. The venue and sound was impeccable.

    Hawkins is currently rehearsing at the club and appeared on stage with aging rocker Andy Kim last Thursday.

    Hawkins will be performing the next three Fridays at the Starlight (Fri. June 23rd; Fri. July 1st (Canada Day); and Fri. July 8th) and then a full-week engagement July 24th-30th.

    And yes, his group plays a few Band songs.

    Right now the dates aren't up on the Starlight website but they should be shortly, Ronnie was announcing the shows from the stage.

    Cheers,
    Dave

Jun.19.2005

Jun.18.2005

Jun.17.2005

  • Garth Hudson will be featured with Tommy Spurlock's band "Spurlock" at The Saxon Pub in Austin, TX, on July 5th. Tommy has been working with Garth for 25 years on various recording projects, including The Band's Jericho CD. Garth will be in Austin to record with "Spurlock" this summer.

  • Garth and Maud Hudson's new CD LIVE at the WOLF is now available from:

  • Added an MPEG-3 file with Garth Hudson's beautiful "Feed the Birds" from the 1988 Disney compilation Stay Awake. Thanks to Johnny Gundersen for sending us this one.

Jun.12.2005

Jun.08.2005

Jun.07.2005

Jun.06.2005

  • Added new photos of Richard Manuel's sidewalk star, memorial bench and grave marker, in his home town Stratford, Ontario. Thanks to Irene and Ray from London, Ontario, for sending us these pics.

Jun.05.2005

  • You may now download the track "Cowboy Angel" (3.8MB WMA-file) from the unreleased Last Train South album recorded in 1989, featuring Garth and Maud Hudson. Thanks to producer Dale Lambson for sending us this track and giving us permission to share it on the web.

Jun.04.2005

Jun.03.2005

  • Request for assistance: Steven Knowlton has been kind enough to send us scans of 13 historical articles about The Band from various newspapers. The scans are not machine-readable, so the articles need to be typed in (as plain text files, Word-files or whatever) before we can add them to The Band web site. The editor of this site does not have time to do this, we need volunteers. The articles in question are available as a list of PDF-documents. If you want to help, check out this list and please let us know if you are willing to type in one or more of the articles. Thanks.

  • Added a file with Robbie Robertson's two 1987 videos "Fallen Angel" and "Showdown at Big Sky,". Good quality Windows Media Video (WMV) format, file size is 25MB. Thanks to John Cline for providing these.

  • We'll share with you this musical slide show inspired by Robbie Robertson. Thanks for sending us this one, "Jen." Beautiful.

May.30.2005

  • Press release:

    D.C. Area Musicians Present an "All Star Tribute to The Band"

    On Wednesday August 10th, a stellar collection of Washington D.C. based musicians will join together for a unique program honoring the music and songs of The BAND. From 1968 through 1975, the Band was one of the most popular and influential rock groups in the world and their impact is still strong today as evidenced by the explosion of alt country upon the popular music mainstream.

    The show is being presented at Strathmore Hall in Rockville, Maryland and is a part of the SUMMER SOUNDS CONCERT SERIES of FREE concerts being presented outdoors on the Strathmore lawn. The show begins at 7:00 p.m.

    Performers include many of the most legendary names to grace the D.C. music scene, including nationally known blues and roots rockers ,THE NIGHTHAWKS, TOM PRINCIPATO, JON CARROLL (fromMary Chapin Carpenters band, who appears alongside Levon Helm on Emory Josephs latest recording), a rare reunion of THE ROSLYN MOUNTAIN BOYS (forefathers of the D.C. country rock scene in the 1970's), THE DIXIE POWER TRIO (a hugely popular quirky quartet featuring tuba, trumpet, guitar & drums), and other notables including, MARTHA HULL, TOMMY LEPSON & SOUL CRACKERS, BILL HOLLAND, DEAD MENS HOLLOW, BILL BAKER, DEEME KATSON, & TOM MILLER. They will be backed up by an amazing collection of some of the areas best musicians, including BILL STARKS, JOHN HURD, ROBBIE MAGRUDER, BILL CRAIG, & SHEP WILLIAMS.

    Concerts are free, please, no dogs allowed, bring a blanket or low beach chair. Parking and DirectionsPatrons are encouraged to take Metro to the Grosvenor-Strathmore station on the Red Line. Parking is available for a fee at the Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro garage and along Tuckerman Lane. A SmarTrip card is required for the Metro garage. Accessible parking is available on-site on a space available basis.

    FOR MORE INFORMATION go to strathmore.org or contact; Ronnie Newmyer at Ronco1954@aol.com.

[photo]
Levon Helm

May.26.2005

  • It's Levon Helm's birthday! Happy 65th, Levon, stay strong!

  • Added a page for an unreleased album recorded in 1989 by the group Last Train South, featuring Garth and Maud Hudson. Thanks to "Roger" for pointing us to this one.

May.25.2005

  • Levon Helm received the Pride Of Ulster County Award when the Levon Helm Band played on Armed Forces Appreciation Day in Kingston, New York on May 21st.

  • From today's issue of the Arkansas Gazette:
    Paper Trails:

    Helm takes battle into courtroom

    by Linda Caillouet

    LEVONS LEGAL WALTZ: Following Paper Trails' reports of Levon Helm's recent visit home to Arkansas and a profile on his friend, Anna Lee Amsden, made famous in The Band's song "The Weight" comes word from Levon's wife Sandy in Woodstock, NY, that he's filing suit against former Band member Robbie Robertson and possibly others. He met with New York lawyers Monday. Helm says he never received credit for contributions made to The Band's songs and wants to right that wrong. He has said other Band members (Garth Hudson and the late Rick Danko and the late Richard Manuel) were also shorted in the credit department. While Robertson had top billing in Martin Scorsese's documentary on The Band, The Last Waltz, Helm never saw a dime from the movie. And how did Helm find out "The Weight" was used in a Cingular phone ad? He saw it on TV like the rest of us.

  • New concert dates for the Jim Weider Band..

May.24.2005

May.23.2005

May.21.2005

  • Singer Sara McLachlan has re-recorded her single "World on Fire" with Robbie Robertson for use in the upcoming TNT series Into the West. Executive-produced by Steven Spielberg, the program will premiere June 10. McLachlan and Robertson are featured in a new music video with footage from the series. The video can be viewed at the official Into the West web site (requires Flash-player, video is available from the "Soundtrack" section). A soundtrack album will be released in early June.

May.18.2005

  • Finally! Added sound samples from Garth and Maud Hudson's wonderful new album LIVE at the WOLF. Canadian release on May 24th. The CD is available from the Make It Real Records web site.

May.16.2005

May.14.2005

May.12.2005

May.08.2005

  • We're spending next week "working" in Greece, at the lovely Hydra island. No more updates until Friday or so.

  • New photo of Amy and Levon Helm from the concert with the Levon Helm Band in Little Rock AR, 05.02.2005.

  • On Thursday, Jim Weider and Jim Tullio won the WC Handy Award for the best blues song of the year(!), for "Have a Little Faith", the title song on the great Mavis Staples' 2004 album.

May.05.2005

  • "Levon in Arkansas -- review of the Levon Helm Band's gig in Little Rock, AR, last weekend.

May.02.2005

  • Jerry Lee Lewis duets with Robbie Robertson on a cover of The Band's "Twilight," on his upcoming album The Pilgrim. Thanks to Brown Eyed Girl for the info.

  • Added a page with cover art, sound samples and video clips from the Levon Helm Band's upcoming CD/DVD The Midnight Ramble Sessions Vol.2 -- one of the greatest voices in rock'n'roll is back! Way to go, Levon!

May.01.2005

  • See THE LEVON HELM BAND and all his guests LIVE with the PAY-PER-VIEW WEBCAST available from levonhelm.com.

  • Added/updated pages for the albums Martha Wainwright (Martha Wainwright, 2005, featuring Garth Hudson), Want One (Rufus Wainwright, 2003, featuring Levon Helm) and Want Two (Rufus Wainwright, 2004, also featuring Levon). Thanks to Peter Viney for sending us the details.

  • Here are some audio clips (MPEG-3 files contributed by Jonathan Katz) from Robbie Robertson's appearance at the 2005 Rock Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony:
    • Part 1 (300K)
      Introduction by Robbie.
    • Part 2 (1.8MB)
      "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" by Jerry Lee Lewis (piano), with Robbe (guitar and first solo), Eric Clapton (Guitar, and probably 2nd solo), and others.
    • Part 3 (1.8MB)
      Intro by Robbie again, to "Hey Bo Diddly" by the man himself on guitar, with Robbie (guitar and first solo), Eric Clapton (guitar and 2nd solo) and the same others (including Paul Shafer, piano, and Will Lee, bass).

  • Check out this The Band bio at the University of Vienna, Austria. Link courtesy of Jonathan Katz.

Apr.30.2005

Apr.29.2005

Apr.23.2005

  • Jim Weider will play the Joyous Lake in Woodstock tonight, Saturday April 23, to kick off the release of Percolator, his latest CD. Read more about Weider and the new album in John Barry's article "Mixing up the groove" from the Poughkeepsie Journal.

Apr.19.2005

  • Added an unfinished version of "Book Faded Brown" (5.1MB MPEG-3 file), produced and recorded in 1991 by Jim Tullio. Garth was supposed to add organ and a solo to this, but it never happened. The line-up is: Rick Danko, vocal, John Scully, all keyboards, Jim Tullio, percussion, bass and guitars, and a "Phil Collins" field drum sample from John Martyn's Glorious Fool album. Another version of the song, still with Rick singing lead, was officially released by The Band in 1998 on Jubilation. A heartfelt thanks to Jim Tullio for sharing this gem with us.

  • A bunch of The Band photo's from 9/2/1983 in Tokyo have been added to the archives. Thanks to Jim O'Brien for capturing these stills from the Japan Tour video.

  • New photos of Robertson from this years' Rock Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

  • According to billboard.com, singer Sara McLachlan has re-recorded her single "World on Fire" with Robbie Robertson for use in the upcoming TNT series Into the West. Executive-produced by Steven Spielberg, the program will premiere June 10. McLachlan and Robertson will also appear in a music video that features footage from the series.

  • More Midight Rambles at Levon Helm Studios and several new concert dates for The Levon Helm Band have been announced at levonhelm.com.

Apr.18.2005

  • Most of The Band web site was off-line this weekend. The server failed due to too many simultanous file requests from visitors. We probably have to move again soon to a faster machine -- or maybe remove some of the audio and video material that causes the internet traffic peaks. Everything should be back to normal today.

Apr.16.2005

  • GARTH and MAUD Hudson's duo CD, LIVE at the WOLF has a new Canadian release date of May 24, 2005.

  • In 2002, Jeff Alexander produced and wrote all the songs for the album School for Fools, where Levon Helm played drums. Alexander has now released another CD on his Cousin Moe Music label, a brand new studio recording with piano legend Johnnie Johnson. For more about this project, see cousinmoemusic.com. Johnson passed away earlier this week -- the legend lives on...

  • New review by Dave Z of GARTH and MAUD Hudson's duo CD, LIVE at the WOLF.

  • The Levon Helm Band will play at John Jay Senior High School in Hopewell Junction, NY, 06.17.2005, at 8.00 pm. Half of the proceeds go to John Jay High School's Blues In Our Schools Program. Come out and see The Levon Helm Band and help support this wonderful program for students.

Apr.11.2005

  • Looks like the next Midnight Ramble will be available on-line as a pay-per-view video thing, see levonhelm.com for details.

Apr.08.2005

  • Our "house artist" Paul Fleming started a showing of his works in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, yesterday, ending on April 30, 2005. Reception today. See these scans of the invitation for more info.:

Apr.05.2005
[cover]
Uncut April 2005

Apr.02.2005

Apr.01.2005

  • Very interesting article in the West Saugerties Journal today.

Mar.31.2005

  • "Helm delivers a once-in-a-lifetime moment" -- review in The Times Union of last Saturday's Midnight Ramble at Levon's. And a great night it was. Thanks from Harm and myself to Levon, the staff, and y'all (you know who you are) for a treating us so nice. We'll be back for more! Special thanks to Kay, Lil, Amanda, Laura(!), Adela, Joe L., Bob, Todd and the rest of the Band site regulars, Butch the Baker, Jim Weider, John Simon and the late-night Easter Bunnies in Kingston :-) for making this a perfect weekend.

Mar.30.2005

  • Just call him "Dr. Hawkins":
    "Musician Ronnie Hawkins, a pioneer of rock 'n' roll, will receive an honorary doctor of letters from the Laurentian University in Ontario, Canada, on June 3, 2005. Hawkins helped many Canadian musicians, including The Band, launch their careers."
    --from NorthernLife.ca
    Take note, University of Arkansas...

  • The current issue of Rolling Stone has a photo of Robbie Robertson's son, Sebastian on the cover, together with other children of rock stars. There's a picture of Robbie and Sebastian circa 1979 inside with the accompanying article. Also in another article about the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame there is a photo of Robbie with Eric Clapton and others playing at this years induction show.

Mar.23.2005

  • "GARTH HUDSON On The HUDSON" featuring vocals by Maud Hudson: June 29, 2005, River-To-River Festival, Rockefeller Park, New York City, New York. FREE. 7:00 PM. The concert is centered on the many aspects of Garth's music and includes a large roster that will be revealed soon.

  • GARTH and MAUD Hudson's duo CD, LIVE at the WOLF has a new Canadian release date of May 17(!), 2005. More details to come after Easter holiday.

Mar.21.2005

  • Added the two albums Looking for Egypt (Eric Garrison, 1998, featuring Rick Danko and Garth Hudson) and These Days (Clay Dubose, 2005, featuring Garth Hudson). Thanks to Brown Eyed Girl for sending us this info.

  • The recently released Ladder 49 DVD features the bonus music video, "Shine Your Light" featuring Robbie Robertson. Robbie is featured throughout the video - lip-synching on a rooftop across from the SunTrust building in Baltimore and in various settings throughout the city where the female lead, Jacinda Barrett, appears.

Mar.20.2005

Mar.19.2005

Mar.18.2005

Mar.17.2005

Mar.15.2005

Mar.12.2005

Mar.06.2005

  • Here is the track listing for the free CD, titled Across the Great Divide - Music inspired by The Band, that comes with the new The Band special issue of the British music magazine Uncut:

    1. Mercury Rev - Opus 40
    2. Drive-by Truckers - Danko/Manuel
    3. Little Feat - Rag Mama Rag
    4. Brinsley Schwarz - Silver Pistol
    5. Wilco - Theologians
    6. Will Johnson - Just to know what you've been dreaming
    7. Grandaddy - Lost on yer merry way
    8. Ray LaMontagne - Narrow Mistake
    9. Corey Harris - Frankie Doris
    10. The Gourds - Dying of the pines
    11. Procol Harum - The Devil came from Kansas
    12. Ben Weaver - Old Mule
    13. Marc Carroll - No time at all
    14. Sparklehorse - Painbirds
    15. Sufjan Stevens - For the widows in Paradise, for the fatherless in Ypsilanti
    16. The Band - King Harvest (Has surely come)

    Thanks to "Lizard" for posting this one in Norbert's Band guestbook.

Mar.04.2005

  • The "Little Pink" guestbook seems to be open again. Best of luck Norb'.

Mar.03.2005

  • GARTH HUDSON will not be joining Burrito Deluxe on tour this year because of other commitments. Any further concerts together will be announced here. Garth would like to thank those of you who have given your support by coming out to the concerts and purchasing Burrito Deluxe albums and hopes that you will continue to support the music of Sneaky Pete Kleinow and Carlton Moody in the future.

Mar.02.2005

Mar.01.2005

  • Added short sound samples from The Midnight Ramble Sessions Vol.1 CD/DVD. Copied from levonhelm.com.

  • Uncut magazine in the UK have produced a Band Issue with a free CD of music inspired by The Band. It goes on sale there on Thursday and will be available in the US and Canada a few weeks later. Thanks to Kerrin at IPC Media Ltd in London for the info.

Feb.27.2005

Feb.26.2005

  • Hal Willner is arranging a Basement Tapes tribute concert at the Henry Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, CA, on April 27th, according to an article in the Hollywood Reporter. Thanks to Jonathan Katz for the info.

  • Link it to me, Brown Eyed Girl!

Feb.25.2005

Feb.24.2005

Feb.23.2005

Feb.22.2005

  • From The Jim Weider Band newsletter:
    Jim Weider Band II: First show! New Band! New CD!
    The Jim Weider Band II at the Steel City Coffee House, Phoenixville, PA.
    Date: February 26, 2005, time: 8:30pm.
    Featuring:
    Jim Weider - guitar
    Randy Ciarlante - drums
    Jesse Gress - guitar
    Daniel Grimsland - bass
    203 Bridge St. Phoenixville, PA. To reserve seating, order tickets from 610-933-4043. 2 sets starting at 8:30pm. This is the first show with the New JWB II Band playing the new CD Percolator -- Groove Guitar Instrumentals! (tapers welcome). For more info & sound samples check out the new web site at jimweider.com.

  • New live cover of "Life Is A Carnival" (12MB MPEG-3 file) with Phil Lesh & Friends, live Oakland, CA, 02/12/05, featuring Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes.

  • Added a page for Larry Groce's 1983 album Medicine Man, featuring Richard Manuel, Garth Hudson and Maud Hudson. Thanks to Gerhard Schinzel for the info. about this one.

  • Check out this Rick Danko bio by John Cardiff, with stories from when young Rick worked as meat-cutter in the '50s.

  • New concert dates for Professor Louie & the Crowmatix.

Feb.20.2005

  • "Music legends share stage" -- review in today's Albany Times Union of the concert in Albany, NY yesterday with James Cotton and The Levon Helm band.

Feb.19.2005

  • The Egg in Albany, NY, has announced that The Levon Helm Band featuring Little Sammy Davis will perform tonight, Saturday, February 19th, at 7:30 PM in place of Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown who cancelled his appearance due to illness. The James Cotton Blues Band will also perform at the concert.

  • Levon Helm will play with Buddy Cage, Vassar Clements and Mike Falzarano, celebrating Vassar Clements birthday, at Tribeca Blues in New York City, April 23rd, 2005.

Feb.18.2005

Feb.17.2005

Feb.15.2005

  • New concert dates for Levon Helm/The Levon Helm Band. Note that Levon and Amy Helm will now be making their Musicians on Call visit to the Sloan Kettering Memorial Hospital in Manhattan on March 15th and NOT February 22nd.

  • The artist line-up for Levon Helm's Midnight Ramble on March 26th is:
    • The Bennett Brothers with Alexis P Suter.
    • Levon Helm with Ollabelle.
    • The Levon Helm Band, starring Little Sammy Davis with Eric Lawrence on sax and Steve Bernstein on trumpet.
    See levonhelm.com for more info.

  • Garth Hudson joined Neko Case and The Sadies as Valentine's Day surprise guest last night at the Bowery Ballroom in New York, NY.

Feb.14.2005

  • New article by Sadavid about the Basement Tapes song "Ferdinand the Imposter."

Feb.12.2005

Feb.07.2005

Feb.05.2005

  • New video interview with Levon Helm and Little Sammy Davis from the Levon Helm Band's "Blues for Schools" concert at John Jay Senior High School, Wappingers, NY, 01/19/05.

  • Included a demo version of "Change is Good," (4.9MB MPEG-3 file) recorded in Chicago in 1992. Rick Danko and producer Jim Tullio are singing and they also played or programmed everything on the demo. The recording was done the day Rick, Jim and Ed Kaecher wrote the song. Another version of "Change is Good" was released posthumously on Times Like These in 2000. Thanks to Jim Tullio for sharing this one.

Feb.04.2005

  • The music memorabilia shop Wolfgang's Vault has opened a web site dedicated to The Band at thebandvault.com.

  • Added photos by Mark Atkins of Robbie Robertson's star on Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto.

  • New photos by "Cousin Paul" from the Hard Rock Cafe in Toronto.

  • Another photo of drummer Peter Deremigis from Robbie's early group the Suedes, contributed by Bill Munson.

  • Included high-resolution scans of cover art for the Festival Express DVD set. Thanks to Niels Amond Adsersen for sending these.

Feb.03.2005

  • Added an MPEG-3 file with the track "Sail On" (5.0MB), featuring Rick Danko and Garth Hudson, from Hans Theessink's great 1991 album Call Me. Thanks to Jonathan Katz for this one. Also added a photo of Theessink and Garth from the recording session. See theessink.com for more about this fine artist.

Feb.02.2005

Feb.01.2005

Jan.31.2005

  • Both Garth Hudson and Rick Danko appear on the 2004 compilation CD Music That Matters from CoraZong Records.

Jan.30.2005

  • On February 25th, 2005, Levon and Amy Helm will volunteer their talents to "The Musicians On Call Program" at the Sloan Kettering Memorial Hospital in Manhattan.

    [photo]

    Levon and Amy will sing and perform for young children who are being treated for cancer in this wonderful program that has been proven to diminish their pain and suffering.

  • The Levon Helm Midnight Ramble Sessions Volume 2 CD will be released in March, 2005, according to levonhelm.com. The CD/DVD combo Volume 1 will be shipped the week of February 7th.

Jan.26.2005

Jan.25.2005

  • Our favorite Norwegian group, the Respatexans, are releasing their second album, Shine On, this month, including a magnificient, Jericho-inspired version of "Blind Willie McTell". More info. and full-lenght sound clips available from respatexans.com (check the "sound/media" section).

  • Garth Hudson and Burrito Deluxe are playing at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Friday this week. See the concert list for details.

Jan.23.2005

  • Added cover art for Hubert Sumlin's new album About Them Shoes, featuring Levon Helm.

Jan.22.2005

Jan.21.2005

  • There will be "Howlin For Hubert" night at BB King's in New York on March 5, 2005, with Levon Helm, Hubert Sumlin, Jimmy Vivino, David Johanssen, Mike Merritt and others. Doors open at 6:00, show starts at 8:00. Tickets are $30 per person and can be obtained through bbkingblues.com.

  • On February 4, 2005, The Levon Helm Band, starring Little Sammy Davis will participate in a Blues In The Schools type program at the Booker School in Sarasota, Florida. Students and faculty will listen to the music of the legends and end the program with an interview session with both Levon and Little Sammy. Levon will present a $1000 scholarship check to a deserving student from The Levon Helm Music Scholarship Fund, sponsored by People's Community Bank of Sarasota, Florida.

Jan.20.2005

  • Levon Helm is scheduled to receive the Jack Douglas Music Award at the Sarasota Film Fest on Feb 3rd.

  • New article in the Poughkeepsie Journal about the Levon Helm Band's involvement in the "Blues in the Schools" program.

  • Details on the upcoming Scorsese documentary on Dylan can be found in this article from the Hollywood Reporter. The documentary will include previously unseen footage of the "Judas" incident during the May 17.1966 Manchester concert with Dylan and the Hawks/Band. In addition to a PBS telecast, Columbia/Legacy will be issuing a 2-CD set of unreleased Dylan recordings and Paramount Home Video will release a DVD version of the documentary containing additional footage.

  • The books in the 33 1/3 series by Continuum Press addresses specific records in roughly 130 pages. Among the series' past subjects are Abba (Abba Gold), The Rolling Stones (Exile on Main St.), The Beatles (Let It Be), Love (Forever Changes), Jimi Hendrix (Electric Ladyland), Joy Division (Unknown Pleasures), Pink Floyd (The Piper at the Gates of Dawn) and the Beach Boys (Pet Sounds). According to series editor David Barker, Continuum just signed up a short novel about the making of The Band's Music From Big Pink.

Jan.17.2005

  • Levon Helm invited his two 9-year old friends and musical talents Tyler Hough and Myles Mancuso to a rehearsal/jam session at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, NY, in November. Photos and video from the event can be found at the web sites of Myles and Tyler.

  • Included a promotional video (105MB! WMV-file) for Robbie's Music for the Native Americans album from 1994.

Jan.15.2005

Jan.14.2005

  • The Levon Helm Band, starring Little Sammy Davis, are playing at the The Heritage Blues Festival in Wheeling, West Virginia, on Saturday, August 13, 2005.

Jan.12.2005

Jan.11.2005

  • Will the upcoming Levon & the Hawks box set include some of the mysterious Robbie Robertson titles that are listed at bmi.com? "Bisquits and Taters?" "Fifteen Years Of Nothing?" "Good Luck Soldier" (co-written with Roscoe Barnhart)? "I Just Went And Fell In Love? "In A High Place Above?" "Love My Girl Makes The...?" "My Pappy Always Said?" "Run Away Love" (co-written with Joseph E. Hunter)? "Something About My Jesus?" "Southern Woman?" Info. about these songs welcome...

  • Nice little 2002 Garth interview in Eye magazine. Thanks to our ol' friend Harm Van Sleen for this link and the one above.

  • On January 19, 2005, The Levon Helm Band, starring Little Sammy Davis, will help kick-off The Blues In The Schools Program at John Jay Senior High School in Wappingers, New York. The program is being organized by Assistant Principal, Rochelle Pyne and will offer students an opportunity to interview and ask questions of two blues legends - Levon Helm and Little Sammy Davis - about their personal musical histories and how "the blues" has influenced their careers. The program will end with The Levon Helm Band playing a 40-minute set for the students and faculty. Although this is not open to the public, we do want everyone to know about Levon's schedule and his never-ending commitment to children and young adults pursuing musical careers. If your school is interested in a Blues In The Schools Program and/or if you'd like The Levon Helm Band to participate, please contact us at levonhelm.com.

Jan.09.2005

  • The release date for Garth and Maud HUDSON's duo CD, LIVE at the WOLF, on Make It Real Records has been postponed due to a change in distributors. An update will be posted here soon.

  • More details about Garth Hudson's contributions to Graham Parker's 1991 album Struck by Lightning. Thanks to Peter Viney for posting this in the new The Band guestbook.

Jan.07.2005

These updates were contributed by users of the new The Band guestbook:

  • Levon Helm's self-titled 1982 album will be re-released by Kejo Entertainment in the US in 2005, with remastered sound and bonus track "Summertime Blues."

  • Included a scan of a Spanish Last Waltz poster.

  • The great Wilco did a very The Band-like cover version of "I Shall Be Released" (5.5 MB MPEG3-file), including Richard Manuel-falsetto singing, at their 2004/2005 New Year's Eve concert in Madison Square Garden, New York.

Jan.05.2005

Jan.04.2005

  • New web server statistics for The Band site created, showing a phenomenal growth in traffic since the last analysis from January 2004. 323.000 file requests per day in average! 338 Gigabytes transferred in 9 days!!

  • The next Midnight Ramble Session at the Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, NY, begins at 7 p.m., March 26, 2005. Tickets $100 per person, purchased through levonhelm.com. Advance sales ONLY, no tickets will be sold at the door. Number of tickets limited to 150. Musicians to be announced.

Jan.03.2005

  • New review/interview and photos from Garth and Maud Hudson's Magic Keyboard Tour in Ontario in December. Thanks to Ross Muir for allowing us to use his article and pics.

  • One more commercial sound clip from Jim Tullio:

    • Case/IH (1.5MB)
      Commercial for Case/International Harvester agricultural machinery. The line-up is: Levon Helm - vocals and mandolin, Bob Rans - keyboards and drums, Bill Ruppert - guitars, Jim Tullio - bass. Recorded and mixed by Bob Rans at Tullio and Rans office studio in 1989 or so...

  • Producer/artist Jim Tullio, who worked with Rick Danko in the '80s and '90s, has sent us these two MPEG-3 files:

    • Bud Light (962K)
      Beer commercial recorded at The Toolshed, Chicago, in 1988. The line up is Rick Danko - vocals, Jim Tullio - guitars and hand jive, Paul Jost - harmonica (Paul is the composer of "Book Faded Brown"). Produced, recorded and mixed by Jim Tullio at The Toolshed, Chicago.

    • Walking on the Water (3.8MB)
      From Irishman Larry Hogan's album Travelin', recorded with Rick Danko in Chicago in 1993. The line-up is Larry Hogan - guitars and vocal, Rick Danko - chorus vocal, Richard Bell - piano, Greg Marsh - percussion, Jim Tullio - bass and drum programming. Produced and engineered by Jim Tullio at The Toolshed/Chicago, mixed by Paul Lani at CRC/Chicago.

  • New concert dates for The Jim Weider Band.

  • A Happy New Year to all visitors to The Band web site. We're starting 2005 by announcing the winner of the The Band Christmas Quiz 2004!

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