Paul McCartney To Headline Jazz Benefit Livestream
Words by Riley Fitzgerald
Graphic by Apple Corps
Paul McCartney will headline jazz benefit livestream Round Midnight Preserves this Saturday.
The former Beatle along with David Grohl, Arcade Fire, Elvis Costello, Irma Thomas, Dave Matthews, Beck, Jon Batiste, Jim James, PJ Morton, Nathaniel Rateliff, and several other acts will appear in unseen archived collaborations with famed New Orleans jazz outfit the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.
The group has been hard hit following the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic in the US
“All donations raised during this FREE stream,” the Preservation Hall Jazz Band writes via Facebook, “will be MATCHED by Spotify, to help us continue providing support and resources to the members of our Collective during this crisis.”
The event will take the place of an annual late-night concert series hosted by the group.
Paul McCartney’s love of jazz stretches back to his childhood.
The Beatle grew up listening to jazz and from his father Jim McCartney who performed in a Liverpool jazz band.
From Jim, the Beatle would learn several jazz standards of the day.
Later Paul would share his love of composers such as Gershwin and Cole Porter with songwriting partner John Lennon.
“I met John and we both realized we both loved this old stuff,” Paul McCartney shared in one 2014 interview. “Two of his favorite songs were ‘Close Your Eyes’ and ‘Little White Lies’ and I liked that about John, I thought, I can get along with this guy.”
Reuniting in the 1990s the three surviving Beatles would honor Lennon by jamming on jazz skiffle number ‘Ain’t She Sweet‘.
McCartney later released an album of jazz standards Kisses From The Bottom in 2011 and appeared alongside the Preservation Hall Jazz Band on Christmas themed compilation album Holidays Rule in 2012.
Round Midnight Preserves will be available for streaming via on YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook 9pm Eastern Time June 20.
Make a donation to the Preservation Hall Jazz Band here.
UPDATE: Paul McCartney appeared alongside Irma Thomas, David Grohl, and several others to close the liverstream with a cover of jazz standard ‘When The Saints Go Marching In‘.
The full clip here.