After a few years off Michael Dorf’s “Music Of…” concert series returned to New York’s Carnegie Hall last week for one of its biggest nights yet. Dorf, the founder of venues like City Winery and Knitting Factory, presents the annual concert as a benefit for music education organizations, and each year selects a different music icon to pay tribute to with a deep roster of musicians both big and small. Past years have seen celebrations of Paul Simon, Led Zeppelin, Joni Mitchell, and Aretha Franklin, among others, but for their post-COVID return, the sights were set on one of the 20th century’s most renowned composers of pop music, Sir Paul McCartney.
The evening started with a speech from Dorf welcoming everyone back, listing the beneficiaries, and reading a thankful note sent that day by McCartney himself. He also gave a moment of remembrance for Rita Houston, the beloved radio host whose MCing had been a fixture of previous “Music Of…” concerts and who sadly passed away in late 2020. Kristine Stone, a host of SiriusXM’s “The Spectrum”, took on Houston’s duties for the night, introducing the house band led by musical director and drummer Steve Jordan, who kicked off the marathon evening with “Oo You” of McCartney’s first solo album, featuring bassist Will Lee on lead vocals.
From there the setlist bounced around Macca’s entire catalog, largely emphasizing Beatles and Wings classics, with each performer taking a different approach to their chosen song. Minnesota duo The Cactus Blossoms played things straight on a short and sweet “And I Love Her”, as did The Walkmen’s Hamilton Leithauser and Lyle Lovett on their respective renditions of “With a Little Help From My Friends” and “Yesterday, but others got a little more inventive with their takes. Alexis Morrast, a young jazz singer who’s already built up quite an impressive resume, showed off her impressive chops on a swoon-worthy “My Love” while Jennifer Nettles, one half of country duo Sugarland, turned the polarizing Wings hit “Silly Love Songs” into a beautiful stripped-back piano ballad that arguably outshone the original. Bruce Hornsby imbued the Beatles’ cheery “I’ve Just Seen a Face” with contemplative energy as his gentle vocals floated amid cascading runs on the piano, while Shovels & Rope brought their raw, ramshackle spirit to a fiery “Helter Skelter”, serving as a good reminder that McCartney’s range extends beyond perfect pop songs.
There were a few performers on hand for whom McCartney wasn’t just an inspiration, but a peer. Early in the proceedings Peter Asher, of British Invasion duo Peter and Gordon, told the story of how Paul had lived with him in his parent’s house and gave him the song “A World Without Love” after John Lennon had rejected it, leading to Peter and Gordon’s first hit, before bringing out Lyle Lovett to duet with him on the 1964 chart-topper. Later on, McCartney’s Wings co-conspirator Denny Laine made an appearance to lead a rendition of “Mull of Kintyre”, joined by Heart’s Nancy Wilson and singer-songwriter Christopher Cross as well as an unnamed bagpipe player. Wilson would return again for the penultimate song of the evening, taking lead on an impeccable “Band On the Run” aided by Laine on guitar. Graham Nash was also on hand to sing “one of Paul’s saddest songs”, his voice still sparkling at 81 on a lovely version of The Beatles’ “For No One”.
Other big names in the house included the legendary Patti Smith, who made an early appearance for a haunting take on the Sgt. Pepper’s cut “She’s Leaving Home”, as well as Lake Street Dive, whose powerhouse rendition of the Wings all-timer “Let Me Roll It” has been a part of their repertoire since their early days. Ingrid Michaelson shook off her nerves as she led a ukulele trio on a medley of The Beatles’ “I Will” and the 1997 solo tune “Calico Skies” (the only post-’70s tune to make the cut) and was followed by Glen Hansard, a regular presence at these “Music Of” shows and always a gifted interpreter of song, who was joined by his brother and an accordion player on a spirited “We Can Work It Out”.
In a night stacked with standout performances and music royalty, there were a handful of truly knockout moments worth highlighting. Singer Sammy Rae – faced with the task of following up with Patti Smith – wowed the crowd with nothing but her voice and ukulele on the understated Paul and Linda number “Heart of the Country”, her striking and jazzy vocals nailing the song’s swoops and scats, and when soul great Bettye LaVette strode onstage late in the evening to deliver an impassioned interpretation of “Maybe I’m Amazed” she had the entirety of Carnegie Hall looking on in awe. The task of taking on “Let It Be” was given to the New York chapter of the Resistance Revival Choir, who started the song lining the aisles before coming together on stage for a full-force gospel rendition that put tears in the eyes of more than a few, while the performance of “Get Back” that followed, by a band of adolescent students from the Music Will organization, effectively drove home the positive impact these events can have (and also must have been quite the thrill for those kids!).
But the MVP of the show had to be Allison Russell. The “modern face of Americana”, as she was introduced, transformed “Blackbird” into an enchanting and powerful jazz meditation. After dedicating the performance to the LGBTQ+ communities being targeted across the country (“We are all free and equal or else none of us are”), Russell and her band laid down a swirling mix of oboe, baritone sax, organ, piano, bass, and drums, all of them melding together harmoniously as she sang the iconic song like it was her own, then breaking off into a ruminative jam between verses, ebbing and flowing until they built up to a glorious finish.
As anyone could have guessed, the night closed out with an all-star rendition of “Hey Jude”, with vocal turns from Christopher Cross, Nancy Wilson, Sammy Rae, Jennifer Nettles, Glen Hansard among others before the big finale. The whole room was up on their feet joining in, the stage overflowing with talent and the smiles of the performers beaming out. Hansard and Bettye LaVette were arm-in-arm wailing into the mic they shared while Denny Laine gleefully tore it up on guitar. It was quite the powerful tribute, and while he may have seen his fair share of them there’s no doubt this one should make Sir Paul immensely proud.
One Response
Without a doubt one of the greatest musical artists the world has ever seen. Paul is up there with the great classical artists.