Film News: 20th Anniversary Screenings of ‘Concert for George’

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CHICAGO – It’s been 20 years since the seminal release of the “Concert for George,” a gathering of George Harrison’s musical partners – including Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr – to memorialize his life of contributions, to the culture and beyond. George Harrison died on November 29th, 2001.

To mark the event, global distributor Abamorama presents special screenings of the Concert for George in cinema all over the world, with a new introduction by Harrison’s wife Olivia Harrison and their son Dhani Harrison, and available in an immersive Dolby Atmos® remastering. For ticket information (including a local Chicagoland screening at the Marcus Addison Cinema), click CONCERT FOR GEORGE.

Concert for George
Photo credit: Abamorama

In anticipation of the concert screenings, Grammy award winning engineer Paul Hicks has also remastered the accompanying Concert for George album, which is available in Dolby Atmos®, on digital platforms. Certified 8x Platinum by the RIAA, the acclaimed 27-track album can also be found in a variety of existing physical formats, including a 180-gram 4-LP box set, 2-CD/2-DVD and 2-CD/2-Blu-Ray packs, and a 2-CD package. Click REMASTER to order.

The concert itself is an amazing conflagration of artists who began with Harrison – that would be the surviving Beatles – and collaborated with him over the years. Highlights include McCartney and Starr playing on “While my Guitar Gently Weeps” from the White Album for the first time since it had been recorded (with Clapton providing his lead guitar, as he did on that album), Jeff Lynne (of Electric Light Orchestra) taking the lead vocals on “I Want to Tell You” and “Give Me Love,” as well as “Handle with Care” from the Traveling Wilburys. The late Tom Petty gives the Heartbreakers spin to “Taxman” and Harrison’s son Dhani provides backup on several songs. It’s a celebration of life and music that changed the world.

By PATRICK McDONALD Editor and Film Critic/Writer HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com