The stories, legend and community of The Band live on through the passion and magic of Chest Fever, newly embodied in the live performance and burning energy they bring to every stage. Officially approved by Robbie Robertson, Chest Fever is comprised of keyboardist Jody Bagley, guitarist Dan Cervantes, and bassist Blake Dean of the San Diego Music Award winning rock band Mrs. Henry, rounded out with organist/saxophonist Ben Pinnola, and drummer Allan Ritter.
“We set out from the get-go to interpret these songs rather than recreate or pay tribute” explains Bagley. Dean continues, “Like Leonard Bernstein, the goal is to bring to life compositions from one of the great catalogs in the history of music. We like to say at every show: “We are a band playing the Band’s music.” Our band is Mrs. Henry, performing as Chest Fever. It’s like Bruce Wayne by day and Batman by night.”
In 2023, Chest Fever hit the road playing venues all over North America. The highlight was a sold out show at Toronto’s revered Massey Hall on November 18th, celebrating the 45th Anniversary release of The Last Waltz. The 5-hour extravaganza featured up-and-coming talent alongside renowned musicians including Albert Lee, Sylvia Tyson, Don Stevenson of Moby Grape, Scarlet Rivera of Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue, Marc Ford of the Black Crowes, Tom “Bones” Malone and “Blue” Lou Marini of The Blues Brothers, virtuoso steel guitarist Cindy Cashdollar and Colin Linden, who both performed with the original members of The Band throughout their career. Finally, 2023 saw Chest Fever releasing two albums that reimagined both Music From Big Pink and Rock of Ages. The albums have received critical acclaim that highlights how the group honors the music of The Band while remaining true to their own original vision with Mrs. Henry.
On that note, it should be abundantly clear that Chest Fever is far from a cover band. They are reinterpreting classic music with their own collective voice. “We consider it an honor to be performing this music live and having the opportunity to carry the torch of The Band” tells Cervantes. Chest Fever emulates and celebrates the sense of fluidity that permeated the live performances of The Band itself. “The way the songs themselves are played is interpreted on a night-to-night basis” says Ritter. “The parts are all there, but the way they come together fits into this cosmic space of melodies talking to one another and moving in and out of the music.” Indeed, even the famous horn arrangements originally done by Allan Toussaint were reinterpreted by Chest Fever’s orchestral horn/string arranger Jesse Audelo.
The seed for Chest Fever was born out of Mrs. Henry’s live album and documentary Mrs. Henry Presents The Last Waltz, and their sold out shows at the Belly Up in Solana Beach, CA in November of 2017 and 2021. It was there, playing alongside up and coming local artists and legendary musicians such as Eagles songwriter Jack Tempchin, violinist Scarlet Rivera of Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue, and solo artist/Black Crowes member Marc Ford, that the idea took flight.
2024 marks the 55th anniversary of the release of The Band’s eponymous album, The Band, and the development of an unparalleled legacy in music and culture. Band members Garth Hudson, Levon Helm, Richard Manuel, Rick Danko and Robbie Robertson embodied a musical alchemy that has been firmly cemented in myth and legend. The boys in Chest Fever set out this year to bring yet another classic album live to stages around the world. While we can no longer vibe to Robertson and crew through a haze of smoke and the cheer of the crowd, through the inspired work of this modern band of brothers we can still drink deep from the well of cosmic creativity that opened to us all.
