A MusiCares Tribute to Carole King

With LeAnn Rimes and Steven Tyler kicking off this January 2014 tribute concert to MusiCares Person of the Year Carole King with a high-energy “Hi De Ho”—Rimes gyrating her hips while Tyler acts like he's trying to stick his tongue in her ear—older viewers who grew up with King's music in the ‘60s and ‘70s might be forgiven for thinking that this was going to be a serious mismatch of showboating talent who would perform songs that were mostly intimate, quiet, and beautiful. For some, that feeling will continue as they watch Lady Gaga's outsized rendition of “You've Got a Friend,” Alicia Keys's perfect performance of “Natural Woman” (a rousing showstopper that feels one-hundred-percent choreographed even when it tries to look spontaneous), and Train's awkward interact-with-King-in-the-audience version of “I Feel the Earth Move.” But some nice surprises are here too: Gloria Estefan's simple and heartfelt “It's Too Late,” Jesse & Joy's (Joy's voice actually sounds closest to King's) Latin-tinged “Where You Lead,” and a wonderful ensemble rendition of “Beautiful” featuring Sara Bareilles, Zac Brown, Jason Mraz, and Raining Jane. But the best is definitely reserved for last as James Taylor delivers a soulful “Up on the Roof” and then joins King for “Sweet Seasons,” “Hey Girl,” and “Will You Love Me Tomorrow.” Winding up with King delivering a rousing “Jazzman,” the 22-song set includes a satisfying mix of King's work as a songwriter and as a solo artist, with many selections drawn from her classic 1971 album Tapestry. Presented in DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and LPCM stereo on Blu-ray, this is recommended. (R. Pitman)