Garth Hudson

From Free net encyclopedia

Eric Garth Hudson (born August 2, 1937) is a Canadian musician born in Windsor, Ontario and raised in London, Ontario. He is best known as the organist/keyboardist for the Canadian-American roots rock group The Band.

A prodigiously talented multi-instrumentalist and virtuoso keyboard player, Hudson provided the lush yet innovative accompaniment. For example, the song "Up On Cripple Creek" features Hudson playing a clavinet through a wah-wah pedal to create a swampy sound reminiscent of a jaw harp or the croak of a frog This clavinet/wah pedal configuration was later adopted by many funk musicians.

A master of the Lowrey organ, Hudson's orchestral tone sense and dramatic, pitch-bending improvisational style anticipated many of the sonic advances of the polyphonic synthesizer. His other primary instruments are piano, electronic keyboards, tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, and accordion.

Garth Hudson is a much-in-demand session musician and has contributed to dozens of recordings by other musicians, recently including Leonard Cohen, Eric Andersen, the Dixie Hummingbirds, the Gipsy Kings, Norah Jones, Neko Case, Los Lobos and Wilco.

In 1990 he, along with bandmates Levon Helm and Rick Danko, took part in Roger Waters' massive performance of The Wall at the Berlin Wall.

Hudson released an innovative solo CD in 2001. Featuring vocals by wife Maud Hudson, The Sea To The North (with musicians like Levon Helm, Purna Das Baul, Babukishan, Manju Das and many more) melded elements of jazz, blues, country, folk, rock and ethnic styles. In 2005, Garth and Maud Hudson released LIVE at the WOLF, a piano and vocal CD recorded live at the Wolf Performance Hall in London, Ontario, Garth's hometown. In 2005 he worked on Teddy Thompson's album Separate Ways.pl:Garth Hudson sv:Garth Hudson