No, The Band weren’t The Berlin Philharmonic (though Garth Hudson IS Classically trained ;-) . Listen to his "Genetic Method" intro to "Chest Fever" on The Band’s live album, if you dare). Neither were The Count Basie and Duke Ellington Orchestras. And Frank Sinatra wasn’t an Opera singer. Horses for courses. Interviewer to Keith Moon: "Could you play in The Buddy Rich Big Band?" Moon: "No, and Buddy couldn’t play in The Who."
Saying "They were the real dead (sic) in a meaningless genre" is like a Vegan saying the best steak in town is the real meal in a meaningless menu. Mind your own business, ya smug elitist square. Speaking of squares: did ya hear the one about what Buddy Holly said about Jazz music? "It’s strictly for the stay-at-homes" ;-) . Vivian Stanshall (The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah band) said "Jazz; delicious hot, disgusting cold."
Oh, notice how he changed "They were the real dead in a meaningless genre" to "They were the real deal in a genre with a very low bar." in response to this post? Too late, you already revealed your true character.