Following a video tribute by Stevie Wonder, Jimmy Webb opened the rehearsal show for his Carnegie Hall tribute concert alone on piano and sang the Glen Campbell classic “Galveston”. The prolific Mr. Webb has written a slew of all time classic songs and helped propel enumerable artists with his iconic tunes.

A top notch band performed much of what tonight’s concert set list will be and there were several highlights even though “special guests” were few and far between during the relatively short hour and a half show.

Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. sang “Up, Up, and Away” which was a radio staple during my youth and Billy Davis Jr followed by a song made famous by Johnny Maestro and the Brooklyn Bridge. 

BJ  Thomas sang a tune and Glen Campbell’s daughter played the banjo like a chip off the old block.

“MacArthur Park” is such an all-time great song and while the band did a good job recreating it musically, on this night it needed a vocalist up to the task to take the performance to the next level.

It’s always a wild card attending these City Winery rehearsal shows but this one was a bit of a disappointment, particularly when the band had to vamp with a blues tune while waiting for the final guest vocalist to make it downtown from Lincoln Center.

The Cake and the Rain tonight at Carnegie Hall.

Wichita Lineman

Rock on!

GQ