"Live From Daryl's House" retrospective begins today

In just its third year, Daryl Hall’s monthly web show Live from Daryl’s House has turned into a showcase for both legendary artists and newcomers alike, a place where they can collaborate in an atmosphere of mutual admiration and respect. This month’s edition of the Webby Award-winning series, starting July 15 at www.lfdh.com, will feature a second annual retrospective of the past year’s best performances. “Some of my favorite things, favorite songs, favorite foods and favorite people are represented in this retrospective,” says Daryl. Throughout the retrospective, Daryl also provides the narration.

The highlights include a medley with legendary Motown singer-songwriter Smokey Robinson, a live concert in Jamaica accompanied by reggae icon Toots Hibbert, a session alongside old Philly soulmate Todd Rundgren, a collaboration with Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump, as well as episodes touting newcomers such as promising tunesmith Diane Birch, emerging country star Jimmy Wayne and Boston bluesman Eli Paperboy Reed. The episode’s emotional peak comes with a tribute to T-Bone Wolk, the longtime musical director for Daryl Hall and John Oates, playing the appropriate “I Miss You.”

“Looking back, it was quite a year for Live from Daryl’s House,” adds Daryl. “From the emotional highs of performing with one of my all-time idols in Smokey Robinson and jamming in Jamaica with the great Toots of Toots and the Maytals, to dealing with the untimely death of my dear friend T-Bone. As always, music provided the best outlet for channeling those emotions.”

This episode features Daryl and Smokey Robinson performing a medley that includes the Daryl Hall penned “Sara Smile” segueing into the Miracles’ “Ooh Baby Baby,” cementing his roots in Motown soul, which can be heard in his duet with Fall Out Boy lead singer—and giant H&O fan—Patrick Stump on the Jimmy Ruffin classic, “What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted.” His performance of Toots and the Maytals’ “Reggae Got Soul” with Toots himself in Jamaica is another standout, while Daryl joins fellow City of Brotherly Love native Todd Rundgren on “The Want of a Nail.” He also joins up-and-comers Diane Birch (“Daydreaming”), Eli Paperboy Reed (“Pick a Number”) and Jimmy Wayne (“Kerosene Kid”) on songs of their own.


Past episodes of Live From Daryl’s House have featured a mix of well-known performers like matchbox twenty’s Rob Thomas, The Doors’ Robby Krieger and Ray Manzarek, Nick Lowe, K.T. Tunstall and Gym Class Heroes’ Travie McCoy, along with newcomers such as pop-rock phenom Eric Hutchinson, Cash Money rocker Kevin Rudolf, Wind-up Records’ Chicago rockers Company of Thieves, Bay Area singer/songwriter Matt Nathanson, Charlottesville, VA’s rising Parachute and Chicago rock band Plain White T’s. Daryl started the free monthly webcast in November 2007 after having the idea of “playing with my friends and putting it up on the Internet,” and the show has since garnered acclaim from Rolling Stone, SPIN, Daily Variety, CNN, BBC, Yahoo! Music and influential blogger Bob Lefsetz, who have cited Live From Daryl’s House as a perfect example of a veteran artist reinventing himself in the digital age by collaborating with both established colleagues and newer performers.