“All You Need Is Love”
So sangeth the gospel according to John, Paul, George and Ringo.
I’m not going to go on about The Fab Five. It’s all been said and done before. The fact that you can listen to a Beatles song recorded in 1963, and it still sounds current is astounding. And don’t get me started on the great songwriting or on George Martin’s producing skills. Others have already said it better than I ever could. Instead of intellectualizing the Beatles, I just want to share a story.
One of my earliest memories is walking next to my mother down the driveway of our house. We lived on a farm so our driveway was long and topped with sharp, gray gravel. I remember reaching for her hand to steady myself on the uneven ground, and she turned to me and started singing “I Want to Hold Your Hand”. That memory has stayed with me for all these years, because it was one of the first times I remember connecting my life to music.
So, sure, The Beatles were important for their craft and their musical skill, blah, blah, blah. The Beatles were/are important because they made good music that connected to people. Every time I hear that song, I remember my mother’s warm hand in mine, and the smell of fresh cut grass, and the crunch of that rocky gravel underfoot.
Think back…what was your first Beatles memory? I bet you can not only hear the song, but remember the feeling, the smells, the sights and the tastes.
That is music’s power. It connects us to memories and feelings in a sensory way. And I’m grateful every day for that connection that music gives me.
So, with that as my lead in, I’m pretty psyched to be doing my first Beatles tribute concert this month! It’s a benefit concert to support music in schools, and it’s up in Marblehead at the Unitarian Universalist church. (thus the gospel reference above). I’m thrilled to be accompanied by my friend and musical phenom, Jimmy Ryan. Lots of other wonderful musicians are on the bill with me including Julie Dougherty, Barbara Kessler, and The Whiskey Boys among others. Tickets are on sale on Brown Paper Tickets.