Last night at the Beacon Theater…shhhhh… we’re not allowed to review it yet, but the Grammys taped a PBS special for airing this fall. It’s a celebration of the 2017 Special Merit recipients, aka Lifetime Achievement Award winners.

So I’m not reviewing it, but come on– with a lineup like this you can’t go wrong: Randy Newman, Dionne Warwick, Andra Day, Charlie Wilson, Valerie Simpson, Shirley Caesar, John Cale and Maureen Tucker of the Velvet Underground, Charley Pride, Katherine Russell, plus Garland Jeffreys introducing the Underground. Whoopi Goldberg did the toast to Nina Simone. I mean, really.

I won’t tell you which songs they sang, we’ll wait til the PBS special is closer. There were a lot of people from the Recording Academy present as this is the kick off for the Grammys in NY. The Grammy Awards return to Madison Square Garden on January 28th under the aegis of Neil Portnow, who got a LOL charming shout out from gospel legend Shirley Caesar.

I can’t wait til the does air because it really worked, there was chemistry in the air! The family of Jimmie Rodgers, the man who started country music 90 years ago, came to get their award. They’re terrific. Justin Timberlake should play Jimmie Rodgers in a movie directed by Taylor Hackford. It’s just begging to happen.

Also, I got to meet Le’Andria Johnson, a 34 year old gospel sensation from Atlanta who’s already won a Grammy. You are about to hear a lot about her. Her new single is called “All I Got.” The album comes out July 22nd. Once the world hears this voice, Le’Andria is going to be everywhere!

Here’s the single:

I’ve lost count of Van Morrison’s renditions of Sam Cooke’s classic “Bring it On Home to Me.” There was a great live version back in 1974, and I see others floating around YouTube. But now Van the Man has done it again, with Jeff Beck on blistering guitar, plus a lot of other surprises as this wonderful record unfurls. Van releases a new album every year. This fall it will be “Roll with the Punches,” a collection of blues and jazz cover songs. He can’t write an album of new songs every year, for gosh sakes. Anyway, I can listen to Van sing anything, at any time. He’s the best.

  Here’s the track list for “Roll” which appears on September 22nd.
1) Roll With the Punches (Van Morrison & Don Black)
2) Transformation (Van Morrison)
3) I Can Tell (Bo Diddley & Samuel Bernard Smith)
4) Stormy Monday/Lonely Avenue (Stormy Monday–T-Bone
Walker/Lonely Avenue–Doc Pomus)
5) Goin’ To Chicago (Count Basie & Jimmy Rushing)
6) Fame (Van Morrison)
7) Too Much Trouble (Van Morrison)
8) Bring It On Home To Me (Sam Cooke)
9) Ordinary People (Van Morrison)
10) How Far From God (Sister Rosetta Tharpe)
11) Teardrops From My Eyes (Rudy Toombs)
12) Automobile Blues (Lightnin’ Hopkins)
13) Benediction (Mose Allison)
14) Mean Old World (Little Walter)
15) Ride On Josephine (Bo Diddley)