Here Comes the Sun

What has become a given is that as long as people are interested in taking up instruments and making some noise, they will eventually circle back upon the rich catalog of songs created by the Beatles. These are the pop standards of modern life. The only real difference is in how the songs get interpreted. In the case of David Lanz, even the spriteliest of Beatles tunes is reduced to magisterial piano instrumentals with woodwind and cello accompaniment. To be fair, it's not the most original of ideas, but Lanz approaches these songs with a delicacy and care that is the mark of a true student of Lennon & McCartney. Of course, those aren't the only songwriters in the group, as Lanz points out in the liner notes. As the title might suggest, this collection is primarily a tribute to the contributions of George Harrison. Granted, this is reduced to merely one track — a fine rendition of the title track — but Lanz also includes an original entitled simply "Sir George." For all the great moments on this album, that final track is probably the disc's shining moment. It pays homage to the sound of the Beatles without relying on simply copying their playbook directly. Sir George and the rest of the Fab Four would likely approve.