In The Studio with Redbeard

Tag: Martin Scorsese

  • The Band’s Robbie Robertson

    The Band’s Robbie Robertson

    Robbie Robertson of The Band, the most North American of Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame musicians, passed away at age eighty in August 2023 after battling prostate cancer. Robbie Robertson truly deserved the designation Recording Artist. Immensely talented as a writer, for the last sixty-five of those years Robertson collaborated successfully with a Who’s Who of American auteurs in popular music and film, from Ronnie Hawkins & the Hawks, Bob Dylan, The Band, to filmmaker Martin Scorsese. A very young, dapper Robbie Robertson, center in white shirt, with The Band.

    Robbie Robertson was a big supporter of In the Studio even before it’s inception in 1988 (our very first meeting was in 1987 to discuss his first solo album,  Robbie Robertson, a personal fave to this day) and was always generous with his time, participating multiple times in thoughtful, intelligent conversations. By appearing in one of In the Studio‘s first ten rockumentaries, Robbie Robertson gave our fledgling effort instant credibility in the competitive field of rock music journalism. As an elder statesman of twentieth century rock, as well as 21st century film soundtracks, we were blessed by his stories, wit, and wisdom multiple times here In the Studio.

    Robbie Robertson was a wonderful guy, and it is hard to say goodbye. As Bob Dylan wrote and The Band sang, “Any day now, I shall be released.” -Redbeard

  • The Band-The Last Waltz 50th- Robbie Robertson

    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