Live from Abbey Road
(2007) Sundance Channel
From the Sundance Channel comes the live music performance show Live from Abbey Road, which features artists such as Snow Patrol, Gnarls Barkley, Dr. John, Norah Jones, Wynton Marsalis, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Paul Simon, Madeleine Peyroux, and John Mayer, just to name a few. In 12 weekly episodes airing Thursday nights beginning June 21, 3 new musical artists a week perform their songs in the shadowy, intimate setting of the legendary London studio. There are no flashy camera shots, no crazy gimmicks, no special effects, just cameras that stay close to the artists as they perform and let the audience into the studio beside them. The show also features interview clips of the artists as they talk about their music and the stories behind their songs, as well as snippets of black and white footage of some legendary musicians from the past who have recorded in Abbey Road. Episode 2 with Snow Patrol, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Madeleine Peyroux featured flashes of The Hollies with Graham Nash recording in the studio in 1967. Produced by Michael Gleeson and Peter Hooke and directed by A.J. Jankel, the show succeeds in its aim to create music television that is personal and more intimate. The focus here is as it should be—on some of today’s greatest musicians performing their music live in the simple, unaffected setting of a legenday studio. If you love live music and love the musicians featured in the twelve episodes, then find your way to the Sundance Channel Thursday nights. You’ll feel like you’re in the studio, too.