Okay, so this arguably isn’t really jazz — but like any musician will tell you, there’s nothing like live music. Besides, jazz has had its influence on everything after it – including the Beatles.
The Beatles/The Fab Four/The Lads from Liverpool was a four-member rock group from Liverpool, England in the 1960s, with musicians Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.
In a sense, it’s pretty difficult to play like the Beatles — their musical style was super unique and pretty much set the scene for the ’60s — so some people choose to, well, be them instead.
Meet Imagine, born 1991 and based in Los Angeles, a Beatles tribute band founded by Neil Burg (who also plays the part as Ringo the drummer). Although they’ve played for some pretty big names (including Tom Hanks, Kurt Russell, and Sylvester Stalone), I still managed to catch them at my local amphitheater in Valencia through the Summer Sunset Concerts Series at the Valencia Marketplace.
Despite the fact that the amphitheater was way past 100 degrees, the faux Fab Four walked out in front of a fairly large crowd donned in Beatles/’60s-esque attire (in fact, these guys actually had a costume change to reflect the Beatles’s Sgt. Pepper album), including skinny black pants, heeled shoes, and wigs. Imagine makes a pretty amazing effort at getting the Beatles vibe – in fact, some of their equipment includes some of those from the ’60s.
Even though the Beatles are over 40 years old, their music never ages — and Imagine did an excellent job of recreating this. In their own laid-back way, Imagine succeeded in capturing the attention of the audience — people were already dancing on stage at the floor of the amphitheater by the end of the first few songs. From upbeat tunes like “She Loves You” to ballads like “Something,” Imagine managed to capture the essence of the Beatles in every song.
I was able to talk to their “John Lennon,” (a.k.a. Alan Bernhoft), and some of the first words that came out of his mouth were “We all love the Beatles!” And what he emphasizes is quite true – the Beatles are truly a band that can never be repeated.
His advice to future musicians: don’t be shy, and never forget to address the business aspects of music (as well the creative aspects). Also, don’t be married to results — keep working and always keep your momentum, because you never know where things might come up.
His top three artists: 1…The Beatles (:)). 2…Led Zeppelin. 3…Pink Floyd.
My top Beatles songs:
1…Come Together.
2…Yesterday.
3…Yellow Submarine.
4…Hello, Goodbye.
5…Hey Jude.
6…Let It Be.
Check out Imagine at imaginingthebeatles.com.
Also, learn more about Alan Bernhoft (“John Lennon”) at alanbernhoft.com.
CURRENTLY LISTENING TO: Love Me Do/The Beatles/1
