The Band-The Last Waltz 50th- Robbie Robertson

Concluding our two-part In the Studio rockumentary on The Band, there is ample evidence in this classic rock interview as to why the late Robbie Robertson had always been one of my favorite musicians with whom to converse. A great storyteller gifted with rich language skills, the main songwriter and lead guitarist for The Band through seven studio albums 1968-1976 and the Rock of Ages  legendary live set, took the opportunity to reveal, in great detail, the following long-debated issues about the first-ballot Hall of Fame quintet with the generic name:

-why The Band (and Bob Dylan) moved away from Woodstock, New York after the legendary concert near there at which Dylan never appeared;

-the storied 1974 comeback tour with the re-emerging Dylan after eight years in self-imposed exile;

-detailed in-depth profiles of Band-mates Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel, Rick Danko, and Levon Helm (sadly all deceased except for Hudson);

-and how the discussions which eventually led to the legendary Last Waltz  Thanksgiving concert and subsequent Martin Scorsese-directed film never included Robertson threatening to leave the band, as has been misreported for years;

-Robertson’s highly-lauded autobiography, Testimony,  in conjunction with the deluxe reissue of The Last Waltz  film and soundtrack . –Redbeard