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Various Artists: Garth Hudson Presents Chest Fever: A Canadian Tribute to The Band

Redeye

While The Band is credited as one of the founders of the Americana movement, it’s easy to forget that only one original member was American. Four out of five members of The Band were from the Great White North, so with that in mind, original keyboardist Garth Hudson assembled a formidable lineup of Canadian musicians to help him interpret his favorite songs from the legendary group’s repertoire. Without overpowering the acts that he recorded with, Hudson’s trademark keyboard tone stands out in each of the collection’s 18 tracks. Most of the groups on the compilation offer a fresh spin on the songs, many of which are deep cuts, while still honoring the original arrangements. Highlights include Neil Young and The Sadies’ powerful take on “This Wheel’s on Fire,” Blue Rodeo’s countrified “King Harvest” and Hudson’s work on a re-imagining of his signature “Genetic Method” and “Chest Fever” pairing—the latter of which features Ian Thornley with Bruce Cockburn.