Kathleen

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18 plays

Beatle Jazz > Come Together
Composed by John Lennon & Paul McCartney

I’ll let you decide for yourself whether Beatle Jazz deserves to live or die (they’re living pretty well, with three albums to date); this cover is the most deserving from their first.

Some Beatles Covers (Instrumental Edition) #9
Covers #23

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29 plays

Grant Green > I Want To Hold Your Hand
Composed by John Lennon & Paul McCartney

From Amazon.com: “The Beetles[sic] and jazz are about as likely a combination as Southern Comfort and prune juice. Compound the crime with an inferior Beetles song used as the title of the session and it’s a wonder this one ever saw reissue as a CD. Thank goodness it did, because the date is a sheer groovin’ delight.”

Some Beatles Covers (Instrumental Edition) #8
Covers #22
Legends of the Guitar #6

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15 plays

Count Basie & His Orchestra > A Hard Day’s Night
Composed by John Lennon & Paul McCartney

The Beatles confused jazzmen across the world, especially the big band legends. It was years before they knew how to incorporate their melodies into more than just goofy arrangements (or even how to title their albums). It was kind of hard to find one than was less than completely embarrassing.

Some Beatles Covers (Instrumental Edition) #7
Covers #21
Legends of the Big Band #1

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11 plays

Brad Mehldau > Blackbird
Composed by John Lennon & Paul McCartney

My obsession with instrumental covers might have begun with Lester Bowie, but I was taken by surprise when this relative unknown solidified it with this track. A pure pop track interpreted by touch that might have as pure as Bill Evans. Nothing forced, nothing out of place, a perfect crystal.

Some Beatles Covers (Instrumental Edition) #7
Covers #20

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25 plays

Booker T. & the M.G.’s > You Can’t Do That
Composed by John Lennon & Paul McCartney

There are lots of instrumental Beatles covers —mainly jazz— but Booker T. Jones and Duck Dunn were particularly enamoured. They were of the same generation after all, a big difference from most of the jazzmen. BT&TMGs are the greatest cover band (and much more) in history so there are too many of their soul/Merseybeat versions I love. I’ve just picked a cool one out of a hat.

Some Beatles Covers (Instrumental Edition) #6
Covers #19
Legends of Soul #13
Legends of the Organ #4

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22 plays

Vanilla Fudge > Eleanor Rigby
Composed by John Lennon & Paul McCartney

These guys were my favorite band in the 11th grade, because they were the first to show me that music, even pop music, could be more than the way it sounded on the record.

Some Beatles Covers #5
Covers #18
Legends of Psychedelia #1

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123 plays

She & Him > I Should Have Known Better
Composed by John Lennon & Paul McCartney

I really should have known better than to like a Beatles song from an album by a popular alt actress and a hipster alt musician/producer, but I really like it.

Some Beatles Covers #4
Covers #17

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19 plays

Sarah McLachlan > Blackbird

Composed by John Lennon & Paul McCartney

This McCartney song (yes, it’s credited to L&M, but that’s because of the business deal the two of them struck) is probably my favorite among his latter day Beatle ballads. Someday soon I’ll post a wonderful acoustic jazz version by Brad Mehldau.

Sorry my only Beatle covers source has been I Am Sam, but my server’s been, ah, under the weather. More diversity coming soon.