Overview

Craig Harris dives deeply into The Band, including the myths and confusions surrounding its members, and provides a wide-ranging account from their very beginnings with Ronnie Hawkins, collaboration with Bob Dylan, to the present. A half-century after The Band’s original lineup, Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, and Garth Hudson, and Levon Helm played together for a final time at a star-studded concert—the “Last Waltz”—on Thanksgiving 1976. The group’s blend of folk, blues, country, Dixieland, and rock ‘n’ roll is revered as a root of Americana music. Harris interweaves original and previously unpublished interviews with the late Robertson, Danko, and Hawkins, as well as producer/sideman Aaron “Professor Louie” Hurwitz, drummer Rick Ciarlante, the Helm Band’s Larry Campbell and his wife Teresa Williams, and others. Recordings, concerts, festivals, film appearances, Robertson’s soundtracks for Martin Scorsese, and others are assessed closely. But this isn’t just a story celebrating the group’s countless hits, successes, and victories. Despite their lasting influence, The Band’s journey was far from smooth. Drug and alcohol abuse, poor health, bankruptcies, and bitter conflicts over songwriting credits took their toll. Craig Harris looks at it all.

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9781538194768

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Reviews

From their beginning as Ronnie Hawkins' Hawks and Bob Dylan’s electric backup through their illustrious years as The Band and solo, Craig Harris’s Last Waltz: The Full Story of The Band digs under every stone to uncover myth-breaking details and hits it right on the nail. -- Fred Scribner * guitarist, the Levon Helm Band, Little Sammy * Nothing is held back as Last Waltz: The Full Story of The Band unravels the complicated saga of this ensemble and its members. Unpublished interviews and intensive research give perspective to this comprehensive study. -- Thomas “TJ” Colatrella * Woodstock, NY-based singer-songwriter * Harris expands on his 2014 book The Band with this meticulous account of the pioneering roots-rock group… Fans will find this worth a look. * Publishers Weekly *

From their beginning as Ronnie Hawkins' Hawks and Bob Dylan’s electric backup through their illustrious years as The Band and solo, Craig Harris’s Last Waltz: The Full Story of The Band digs under every stone to uncover myth-breaking details and hits it right on the nail. -- Fred Scribner * guitarist, the Levon Helm Band, Little Sammy * Nothing is held back as Last Waltz: The Full Story of The Band unravels the complicated saga of this ensemble and its members. Unpublished interviews and intensive research give perspective to this comprehensive study. -- Thomas “TJ” Colatrella * Woodstock, NY-based singer-songwriter *

Author Information

Craig Harris is a music historian, educator, storyteller, percussionist, photographer, radio show host, and author of six books. A skilled percussionist, he has appeared onstage with C. J. Chenier, Greg Brown, Jonathan Edwards, Rod MacDonald, Melanie, Mustard’s Retreat, Merl Saunders, Rick Danko (The Band), and Los Texmaniacs. He co-hosts the Gaea Star Crystal Radio Hour on the DreamVisions7 Radio Network and hosts The Craig Harris Show on Washington, DC’s Bluegrass Country/WAMU-FM.

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