This was a really fantastic evening organised by the Grammy museum. A succession of artists took on two Beatles songs each to make their own and then moved off to allow the next artist their turn. A great way to experience so many musicians interpreting Beatles favourites.
The Dunwells took on Come Together and Norwegian Wood, with great harmonies and nice arrangements. Come Together was brooding and rumbling. Norwegian Wood took off into a hoedown in the second half.
Tori Kelly sang Blackbird, in a lovely rendition that made it sound like a Joni Mitchell song, and Eleanor Rigby, as a Chicago blues number.
Jovanotti sang Yesterday, in a spaghetti western style, and I Saw Her Standing There, in a rockabilly version, with both in Italian. He explained how big pop hits used to be translated into Italian, but that the Beatles never approved the translations of any of their songs, and the "translations" often bore no relation to the original words.
Ron Sexsmith covered Old Brown Shoe and Mother Nature's Son, which he'd rehearsed, and then Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, we he hadn't, but he'd been asked just before he came on if he could do three songs. For Lucy, he asked if we could help him out on the chorus.
La Santa Cecilia sang a great bluesy rock version of I Want You (She's So Heavy) and then a wonderful Strawberry Fields Forever, in Spanish and in a tango style, re-imagined and dedicated to people who work the land.
Andy Allo from Prince's New Power Generation sang Yesterday and a soulful version of Let It Be, then a new song of her own.
David Garza took on Julia, She Loves You and then Ron Sexsmith joined him for Here Comes The Sun, which they had just worked up in the dressing room.
Jenny O covered Paperback Writer b-side Rain and then I Will.
Pyramids, the OK-Go and He Say She Say supergroup, sang I'm So Tired, Dear Prudence and then their own Don't Go.
Alexandra and the Starlight Band ripped through glittery garage rock versions of Get Back and Dig A Pony.
Nina Diaz from Girl in a Coma took on Something and In My Life.
Tom Freund sang With A Little Help from My Friends, joined by David Garza, then his own song Collapsable Plans.
With the lyrics on his iPad Mini Luke Sital-Singh covered Honey Pie and did really great version of Girl, with delicate guitar picking and really powerful and touching vocals. He said that, rather than being brought up on The Beatles, he'd be brought up on Chris de Burgh, but that luckily Chris had covered Girl.
Steve Forbert sang great rock and roll versions of You Can't Do That and I'll Follow The Sun, and then his own song about imagining John and Paul meeting.
Blue Sky Riders, including Kenny Loggins, took on Nowhere Man and Help in a bluegrass country style and then a version of their own song Just Say Yes.
Delta Rae sang Oh Darling
Willie Nile spoke about visiting Paul McCartney and John Lennon's childhood houses. He was told about John's treehouse ("No one I think is in my tree...") and about the two of them singing in Paul's porch (or "vestibule" as Willie said). He sang Hard Day's Night and Anytime At All. He also told a sad story about lending guitar strings to John, who was recording in the same set of studios, on the night John was shot. He then closed the evening with a rabble-rousing version of Revolution.
