Elvis Costello, The Waterboys and Bettye LaVette performed the music of Prince this week in New York but there was no Prince to be seen.
Prince was honored on Thursday night at Carnegie Hall in New York with the annual benefit for music education put on by Michael Dorf of City Winery.
The show benefits such schools as the Church Street School of Music, the American Symphony Orchestra’s Music Notes, the Center for Arts Education and Little Kids Rock.
Once again, the Roots were the house band for the night and a long list of artists, including veterans such as Booker T. Jones, the Blind Boys of Alabama, Bettye LaVette and Elvis Costello, covered the honorees songs.
Of course, Prince being Prince, he didn’t show up for his own tribute, but a number of artists who were associated with him throughout his long career did perform including Wendy Melvoin of Wendy & Lisa and former members of the Family performing under the name Fdeluxe.
The set list:
Purple Rain – The Waterboys
Ten / I Wonder U – The Roots and Eric Leeds
Raspberry Beret – Booker T. Jones, with choir and Diane Birch
Nothing Compares 2 You – Nina Perrson
High Fashion / Mutiny – Fdeluxe (The Family)
Little Red Corvette – Sandra Bernhard
Mountains – Devotchka
When Doves Cry – Bhi Bhiman
The Beautiful Ones – Kat Edmonson
The Cross – The Blind Boys of Alabama
Pop Life – Citizen Cope and Alice Smith
Annie Christian – Talib Kweli
Sister – Bilal
Kiss – Bettye LaVette
Darling Nikki – Princess
Moonbeam Levels – Elvis Costello
It’s Gonna Be a Beautiful Night – D’Angelo
1999 – Ensemble
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