The Band sounded as if they emerged from a Deep South crossroads where country, gospel and blues converged to form the highway of R&B and rock and roll. Their lyrics spoke of a weird old America—an unusual accomplishment for a Canadian band explained by its lone Arkansan, Levon Helm. Sandra B. Tooze’s biography is especially interesting for charting Helm’s discovery of Toronto in the 1950s while drumming for a fellow Arkansan in Ronnie Hawkins’ rockabilly combo and—revelation!—how big Hawkins’ band almost became while recording for New York’s mobbed-up Roulette Records.
