Garth Hudson
Eric Garth Hudson (born August 2, 1937) is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist. As the organist, keyboardist and saxophonist for Canadian-American rock group The Band, he was a principal architect of the group's unique sound. Hudson has been called "the most brilliant organist in the rock world" by Keyboard magazine. A master of the Lowrey organ, Hudson's orchestral tone sense and 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. He has been a much-in-demand and respected session musician, performing with dozens of artists and earning the accolades of many including Elton John, who has cited him as an early influence. He also plays in a duo with his wife, Maud, and in 2002 joined his friend Sneaky Pete Kleinow in Burrito Deluxe, an offshoot of The Flying Burrito Brothers. Recorded by Garth Hudson in 1967, Sony Music/Legacy Recordings released The Basement Tapes Complete on November 4, 2014. The collaboration between Bob Dylan and The Band is Volume 11 of Dylan's Bootleg Series and includes 138 tracks on six CDs. In addition, a 38-track version entitled The Basement Tapes Raw was released on two CDs or three LPs.