Garth Hudson is a Canadian-born musician who is best known as the organist/keyboardist for the Canadian-American roots rock group The Band.
A prodigiously talented multi-instrumentalist and virtuoso keyboard player, Hudson provided the lush yet innovative accompaniment. For example, the song Up On Cripple Creek features Hudson playing a clavinet through a wah-wah pedal to create a swampy sound reminiscent of a jaw harp or the croak of a frog (this clavinet/wah pedal configuration was later adapted by many funk musicians.)
A master of the Lowrey organ, Hudson's orchestral tone sense and dramatic, pitch-bending improvisational style anticipated many of the sonic advances of the polyphonic synthesizer . His other primary instruments are piano, accordion and saxophone.
Garth Hudson is a much-in-demand session musician and has contributed to dozens of recordings by other musicians. Recent examples include Leonard Cohen, the Dixie Hummingbirds, the Gipsy Kings, Norah Jones and Los Lobos.
Hudson released an innovative solo CD in 2001. The Sea To The North melded elements of jazz, blues, country, folk, rock and ethnic styles into a groundbreaking artistic statement. The CD featured vocals by his wife, Maud Hudson.
