The Band EPK Jubilation

This is one of my all time favorite films -- one of the greatest shoots I've had the honor to record. It was a short film to promote The Band's tenth album, Jubilation. You can get a sense of what it was like from reading the letter that follow written to a friend upon my return!

Thanks once again to Levon Helm, Garth, Rick and ALL the members of The Band who made us feel so welcome.

Sincerely,
Rees W. Candee
Producer, Writer, Director, Camera

May 18, 1998

THE BAND IS ROCKIN'
Got home from Woodstock yesterday after spending four days with The Band. This was a chance of a lifetime to document one of America's greatest musical ensembles making music. The crew was me as Producer, Director, Cameraman shooting 16mm film & Betacam sp tape, Gil Ross on 35mm stills, and Kevin Devick line producing and fillin' in everywhere on crew. We caught many cool moments during our four-day adventure. Ten and a half hours of footage, 20 rolls of film. Our primary goal is to make a four minute promotional trailer for The Band's forthcoming CD. Our secondary goal is to do an in depth look at the creative process that goes on when music is created.
The Band is doing excellent work. The Last Waltz was, to quote Levon Helm, "...just The BAND's first official going out of business sale". A little premature and right now in 1998, they're in a great place creatively. At the moment, the events of the last four days are a blur of friendly, talented, and often hilarious people exchanging ideas and working through their creative process in making their music.
Their atelier, AKA, "the studio" was beautiful. A huge "barn" style building designed by musicians, for musicians. With the ceiling reaching 45' up to the cupola above, the feeling was religious. The control room was on a second level, a sort of loft, open to the room below. The Producer/Engineer Aaron Hurwitz and the musicians could talk easily back and forth. A classic barn-- Beautiful 10" square, hand hewn beams comprised the infrastructure. It was a warm, multi-level, irregular, open, and an acoustically unique space.... Add the vital ingredients of talented people, an earnest desire to practice, search, and experiment with musical sounds and ideas and you've got a nice thing goin'... The music would start around noon and continue till three or four the next morning. I celebrated this "embarrassment of riches" by recording everything I could....
They worked on three or four songs that will be on the new album. The working title is currently Jubilation, The lyrics have crept into my mind much the same way songs like, "Up on Cripple Creek", "Life is a Carnival", and, "The Weight" have done.
The music features the same crisp and clean acoustic approach that propelled them to fame on their first album, "Music From Big Pink". It's a signature sound carried by three of the original members, Levon Helm, Rick Danko, and the inimitable Garth Hudson, blended with the chops of Randy Ciarlante, Jim Weider, and Richard Bell and a phenomenal array of gifted sideman: Tom "Bones" Mallone, Jim "Eppy", (sorry I don't remember "Eppy's" full name,) and several others, including Producer Aaron Hurwitz who is also producing this album. Part of the story is that their creative approach echoes the collaborative technique they used on "Music From Big Pink". These guys have been hunkered down in the studio for many moons working on this batch of songs there are gem's there for Band fans and for the uninitiated. Tom Leavens gets kudos for his vision in seeking an album that celebrates the 30th anniversary of Music From Big Pink conceived in a similar fashion, eg., the acoustic sound and the collaborative approach. This is one of Americas great Ensembles hard at work again. It was a very cool shoot. Like Levon said, "we're concentrating right now on what shouldn't be in there...." I found the idea of less being more like the painter who needs to know when to stop. If you love music you would have found this 4 day shoot amazing. If you dig The Band, youd be floating like me and wishing someone would fund us so we can get you a half hour cut of the ten hours we just captured!




Anyway, just wanted to let you know the shoot went great. Woodstock was beautiful. The Band is in a creative place and the new CD is worth checking out. We're back at our humble studio and recovering! Crawling from the wreckage with a grin! Drop a line.

Thanks for you words and thoughts!




Rees Candee
Director
Candee Productions, Inc.

PS A million thanks to The Band, all the incredible sideman, Butch Dener, George Lembesis, and Paul Dulany.

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[gothamgal]

How wonderful. Seeing Rick so happy. There was a moment you caught when Randy looked over and smiled,and you could just feel the joy in that barn. Thank you!!

[SidewaysCowboy]

Thanks for the comment! He was and the mood with all was upbeat. He shared a great interview- was very humble and just loving the music they were making at that moment! Someday I hope to get permissions and some resources to edit the highlights of my time with The Band.

[longblkveil]

What a joy it is seeing Rick on your film! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[SidewaysCowboy]

My honor. I was lucky to get the chance and I loved every second. Thank you for the comment.

R

[ruffian1868]

They've painted out any trace of Robbie ? That feud is similar to the one with Big Pink Floyd.

[mollyz2000]

@kraftymomma1979 Me too! I'd love to meet Levon soon. He's always been the one to influence me in music. May the music, the remaining members of The Band, and the memories live in our hearts forever.

[kraftymomma1979]

Love The Band but I've always had a soft spot for Levon Helm.

[rogeybo]

This is brilliant. Thanks a lot for posting. I'm so jealous that you got to spend time with them, especially Rick. I wish I'd had the chance to meet him.

[beardsitaly]

REALLY GREAT VIDEO!! Thank you.

[paladin925]

Great clip. The band make me smile whenever I hear the music. Book thats faded brown is still a heart wrenching song to me.