Various Artists - Gershwin Prize for Popular Song Honoring Elton John and Bernie Taupin, D.A.R. Constitution Hall, Washington, DC, 3-20-2024

Here's yet another concert celebrating another winner of the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. This time, it's actually two winners, because it celebrates the songwriting team of Elton John and Bernie Taupin. 

As I write this in September 2025, this is the most recent award concert in the series. I figure there won't be one in 2025, because they've always taken place earlier in the year than that. And while this award is given most every year, some years are skipped (though I don't know why).

In my opinion, this concert was treated as more of a big deal than many of the others for the award, due to the music of John and Taupin being so beloved. Once can see this by the caliber of the stars who sang the songs here, and compare that to who showed up for some of the other awards concerts. 

Unfortunately, however, note that Paul McCartney only sent some complimentary commentary via video, and didn't perform any songs. On the plus side, I'm impressed Joni Mitchell showed up. She hardly ever attends these sorts of things, especially in recent years with her considerable health problems.

Typically for these concerts, Elton John showed up and sang a couple of songs at the end of the concert. There's no evidence of the lyric writer Bernie Taupin being there if you just listen to this recording. But he shows up in numerous photos, including the one I used for the cover. So his role probably just got edited out. Not by me, though.

As is usual with these award concerts, the music here is unreleased. But the sound quality is excellent. 

This album is an hour and 32 minutes long. 

01 talk (emcee)
02 talk (Billy Porter)
03 Border Song (Annie Lennox)
04 Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word (Garth Brooks)
05 talk (Brandi Carlile)
06 Madman Across the Water (Brandi Carlile)
07 talk (Paul McCartney)
08 talk (Billy Porter)
09 Bennie and the Jets (Jacob Lusk)
10 I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues (Maren Morris)
11 The Bitch Is Back (Billy Porter)
12 talk (Charlie Puth)
13 Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me (Charlie Puth)
14 talk (Stevie Wonder)
15 talk (Billy Porter)
16 Funeral for a Friend - Love Lies Bleeding (Metallica)
17 Skyline Pigeon (Brandi Carlile)
18 Daniel (Garth Brooks)
19 talk (Brandi Carlile)
20 I'm Still Standing (Joni Mitchell with Annie Lennox & Brandi Carlile)
21 talk (Carla Hayden)
22 Mona Lisa and Mad Hatters (Elton John)
23 talk (Elton John)
24 Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting (Elton John)
25 talk (Carla Hayden)
26 talk (Elton John)
27 talk (Bernie Taupin)
28 talk (Elton John)
29 talk (Carla Hayden)
30 Your Song (Elton John)

https://pixeldrain.com/u/EyMoGH37

alternate:

https://bestfile.io/B4Rvyfn0wAHe7K2/file

The cover photo is from this exact concert. It shows Elton John playing the piano while Bernie Taupin looks on. I moved Taupin closer to John so both of them could show up larger. He actually was resting on the piano, but much further down it.