Hudson, keyboard man and best beard in The Band, has selected 18 songs from the catalogue and invited fellow Canucks to have a go. When it shines, it’s a revelation. Mary Margaret O’Hara is eccentric and passionate on “Out of the Blue.” Both artist and song are elevated by the performance. Similarly, Neil Young and “This Wheel’s on Fire” are a perfect match. Peter Katz revels in the French verses of “Acadian Driftwood,” with Hudson’s accordion an essential element. Raine Maida and Chantal Kreviazuk, however, sound strangely out of their emotional depths. Adding vigour to the late bloomer “Sleeping” (from Stage Fright) and guitar to “Chest Fever” is Bruce Cockburn. Such a meeting of Northland stalwarts will give you a warm feeling, or at least aid digestion.
This article appears in Dec 9-15, 2010.