Garth Hudson Joins the Band

Last member of the famous group departs at 87

Garth Hudson, the last surviving member of The Band, has passed away at 87. The multi-instrumentalist, best known for his work on organ, was predeceased by band members Robbie Robertson (2023), Levon Helm (2012), Rick Danko (1999) and Richard Manuel (1986), all Canadians except for Helm. As Manuel explained in The Last Waltz, instead of something like “Chocolate Subway” or “Marshmallow Overcoat,” they just called themselves The Band. The classically trained Hudson was the best player they had heard, so they made him the music teacher. Hudson never sang but looms large on every track and arrangement.

The Band was the only group to back Ronnie Hawkins, who passed in 2022, and Bob Dylan, still around and recently replicated in A Complete Unknown. The Band made its mark in the 1968 Music From Big Pink with “The Weight,” imploring the mysterious Fanny to take a load off. The Band album showcases classics such as “Up on Cripple Creek,” “The Unfaithful Servant,” and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.” As Joan Baez who covered it understood, the song was all about the sufferings of war. There was nothing quite like it at the time and The Band’s body of work is best reviewed in The Last Waltz.

Richard Manuel performs “The Shape I’m In” with Hudson taking the solo on organ. He closes out “It Makes no Difference” on soprano saxophone, a difficult instrument to master. Hudson also played tenor and when The Band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame he paid tribute to saxman Clifford Scott and his performance on Bill Doggett’s “Honky Tonk.”

At that ceremony, Hudson also mentioned organist Wild Bill Davis, seen here in 1984 with Guy Laffite on tenor saxophone. The Band veteran was surely familiar with the great Jimmy Smith, Richard “Groove” Holmes and all, but on the keys Garth Hudson was his own man. This is not to say that there was nobody quite like him.

Hudson was predeceased (1922) by Joey DeFrancesco, a virtuoso on organ, saxophone and trumpet. Check out Joey on “Sunny,” with guitarists Pat Martino and John Scofield. In effect, Joey passed the torch to German organist Barbara Dennerlein. Check out Barbara on “Stormy Weather Blues,” with Emily Remmler on guitar and Sonny Fortune on alto saxophone. I’m guessing Garth Hudson would like it. Rest in peace, with the rest of The Band.