When The Beatles released “Abbey Road” in September 1969, the seeds of discontent that caused the band’s official split in April 1970 were already sowed.
Despite that, the album was an enormous commercial success — hitting No. 1 in both the U.S. and U.K. More than a half-century later, its music stands as a monument to the band’s greatness.
The Beatles had already ceased being a live touring band long before “Abbey Road” was released. Because of that, speculation was rampant that its music — heavy with Moog synthesizer played through a Leslie cabinet — was impossible to re-create live.
In more recent times, that theory has been debunked. The album is a live staple of Holland’s The Analogues and an all-star American unit called the Fab Faux. The latter features Jimmy Vivino, who led Conan O’Brien’s TV band, and Will Lee, bassist in David Letterman’s erstwhile TV band.
On Thursday, the Hilo Jazz Orchestra — known for its tribute shows to Frank Zappa, the Blues Brothers and The Beatles — will play the Fab Four’s 47-minute masterwork live in a tribute show at the Palace Theater in Hilo.
“I’m very excited about this show because ‘Abbey Road’ is a brilliant album,” said Trever “Professor T” Veilleux, a guitarist, University of Hawaii at Hilo music teacher and the band’s leader. “‘Abbey Road’ has a lot of hits: ‘Come Together,’ ‘Oh Darling,’ ‘Here Comes the Sun,’ ‘Something.’
“Those are songs you come across in your daily life.”
The album also contains a long medley on side two played live as a suite by the Fab Faux and The Analogues.
“I have to say we’re playing the entire album in order, but I’m most excited about that medley. How often to do you get to hear that played live?” Veilleux mused, rhetorically. “What we’re doing is a little different than what the Fab Faux is doing. We have a really large band, the biggest we’ve had in years, with 27 singers and musicians on stage.
“We are staying true to the music, true to the notes, true to the arrangements — except that we’re adding additional musicians. It’s not so much to duplicate the sound of the record as it is to stay true to the compositions.”
The show will also feature other Beatles’ tunes, but Veilleux would not spill the beans about the remainder of the set list. He hinted, however, that fans of George Harrison, who was allowed to contribute only two songs per album, will be pleased.
The band is largely composed of UH-Hilo students with a couple of high school members and community musicians Veilleux said are there “to cover gaps in instrumentation.”
The band, which arose from a class taught by Veilleux, hasn’t played a full concert since 2019 because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. One notable holdover is Heather Sexton, who’ll play baritone sax. Veilleux said the others are mostly “new faces, new talent.”
Referring to the upcoming show as “a pretty rare event,” Veilleux said the music presented a learning curve for the student musicians.
“The Beatles music sounds so simple. It’s this great, catchy pop music,” he said. “But it turns out that it’s more sophisticated than what it appears on the surface. Plus, working with (producer) George Martin, the genius that he was and all the extras he put on top of the arrangements — this is very difficult music.
“Students are being challenged, maybe more so than they expected to be.”
And although the music is from a bygone era, according to Veilleux, almost all the band was familiar with both The Beatles and “Abbey Road.”
“I grew up listening to the Beatles and listening to ‘Abbey Road,’” said vocalist Aleah Kay, a UH-Hilo junior. “I even got to go see it when I went to England. I think the music holds up today. I think we’re in a time where my generation and those younger than me are bringing back some of the fashion from the time.
“My dad is a musician, so I grew up listening to ‘his’ music.”
Ben Ippolito is a 14-year-old Connections Public Charter Schools student whose main instrument is sax, but is playing trombone “because they needed more trombones.”
“It’s my favorite Beatles album, which is why I wanted to do this,” Ippolito said. “Once you learn your part, the rest of it depends on the rest of the band. You have to take time to listen, mark your sheet music — and be ready for anything.”
Showtime is at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 6 p.m. Admission is $20 general, $30 orchestra and $10 students in advance with valid ID. All seats are $5 more the day of the concert except for students. Tickets are available at hilopalace.com and at the Palace Box Office. Call (808) 934-7010 for more information.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
Email Kelsey Walling at kwalling@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
