Biography of Bob Dylan

After years of spiritual searching, and delivering many fine songs on the subject along the way, Dylan embraced Christianity most overtly in the late '70s, releasing a trio of albums that dealt most explicitly with the subject. He was later to move more in the direction of his Jewish heritage, but has continued to write songs that give food for thought to believers and non-believers alike. ~ Thom Granger

Biography of The Band

Composed of four Canadians and one American, the Band first came together in Toronto in the early '60s as Ronnie Hawkins's backup group. Hawkins recorded nine 45s for Roulette between 1959 and 1963. Drummer Levon Helm plays on all nine, guitarist Robbie Robertson and bass player Rick Danko can be heard on the last three, pianist Richard Manuel is on the last two, and organist Garth Hudson plays on the final outing only. Leaving Hawkins collectively in early 1964, they called themselves the Levon Helm Sextet, Levon and the Hawks, and (for a brief spell) The Canadian Squires, releasing two singles before becoming Bob Dylan's backup ensemble for his crazed electric tour of North America, Australia, and Europe in the fall of 1965 through the spring of 1966. (After a couple of gigs, Levon headed back to Arkansas.)Playing with Dylan had a profound influence on the Band. Woodshedding for two years in Woodstock, NY, they released their debut album, Music from Big Pink, in the summer of 1968. Over the succeeding eight years, the Band stood completely apart from everything else happening in rock & roll. There was no precedent for what they did, and there have been no antecedents. Ironically, given that they were four-fifths Canadian, their music embodied an essence of Americana that no one else in rock & roll has approached. Chief writer, Torontonian Robbie Robertson, wrote about the American South, the land, rural America, tradition, and the value and richness of heritage and blood ties. The settings for his songs took place in cornfields, during the Civil War, and at carnivals at the edge of town. He was most concerned with displaced people and the passing of a way of life. Sonically, the Band was equally unique. Hudson played accordion, sax, and organ; drummer Levon Helm doubled on mandolin and guitar; pianist Manuel drummed whenever Helm was out front; bassist Rick Danko played fiddle when they needed a rural or "old-timey" feel; guitarist Robbie Robertson had a pinched, economical style that kept one teetering on the edge with tension. As a unit, they quite consciously avoided any of the current trends. They didn't want their voices to blend, because that is what everyone else was doing; they wanted their piano to sound like a funky old upright, not like a brand-spanking-new Yamaha Grand; and so on. In the process they created some of the most ethereal and evocative music imaginable. ~ Rob Bowman