The Band

The Band

The Band is a Canadian-American rock group formed in Toronto, Ontario in 1967. Its original line-up consists of Robbie Robertson, Richard Manuel, Garth Hudson, Rick Danko and Levon Helm, all of whom are multi-instrumentalists. The band’s sound draws on old country music, early rock and roll, folk rock, country rock, roots rock and pop rock, with a rhythm section that often has a bouncy, funk-influenced feel.

Early history

Before using the name The Band, the members work together as The Hawks, backing rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkins from 1959 to 1963. Bob Dylan later recruits the quintet for his 1965/1966 world tour, and they also play on the informal recordings that become known as the Basement Tapes. After this period they begin recording as an act in their own right.

Albums and songs

The group records two of its most important albums in the late 1960s: Music From Big Pink in 1968 and The Band in 1969. Music From Big Pink includes the song “The Weight”, one of the band’s best-known tracks. These albums help establish country rock as a broader American roots style rather than a narrow genre label.

Members and roles

Robbie Robertson is the chief songwriter and plays guitar, piano, drums and harmonica. Richard Manuel plays piano, harmonica, drums, saxophone, organ and slide guitar, and sings in a fragile falsetto and wounded baritone. Garth Hudson plays organ, piano, clavinet, accordion, synthesizer and saxophone, and is noted for the range of sounds he draws from his Lowrey electronic organ. Rick Danko plays bass guitar, violin, trombone and guitar, and sings in a high tenor. Levon Helm plays drums, mandolin, guitar, bass guitar and harmonica, and sings in a gritty southern voice. Helm’s drumming is often praised for subtlety and groove, and Jim Keltner says he borrows several of Helm’s techniques. The group’s vocal arrangements often combine the three singers in unusual but effective harmonies, with Manuel widely regarded by the others as the lead vocalist.

Later years

The Band breaks up in 1976, with drug and alcohol problems and internal tensions contributing to the split. Martin Scorsese’s film The Last Waltz documents the group’s final performance. The band returns in 1983 without Robertson and continues after Manuel dies in 1986. Its reunion albums are Jericho, High on the Hog and Jubilation, all released in the 1990s. Rick Danko dies in 1999, bringing the group to an end.

Recognition

The Band is inducted into both the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and remains widely regarded as an influential group, especially among critics and other musicians.