Watch Jackson Browne Perform ‘Doctor, My Eyes’ With Musicians From Around the Globe
Fifty-one years after the release of his breakthrough single “Doctor, My Eyes,” Jackson Browne has revisited the tune as part of Playing for Change’s Song Around the World initiative. He’s joined on the new rendition by the original “Doctor, My Eyes” rhythm section of drummer Russ Kunkel and bassist Leland Sklar along with musicians from all across the globe, including guitarist Char, singers Roselyn Williams and Chavonne Stewart, drummer Jorginho Gomes, and the African drum group Bayakanda.
“Russ Kunkel and Lee Sklar and I sat down and played it the same way we did on the basic track on my first album – fifty years ago! – just piano, bass and congas,” Browne tells Rolling Stone. “It’s exciting to hear all these musicians add their instruments and voices to my song. Brilliant street musicians as well as oft recorded masters like Russ, Leland and Zakir Hussain – I’m honored to be with them all in the same time and place, thanks to Playing For Change.”
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The video was the brainchild of Playing For Change co-founder Mark Johnson. “I had known Mark for quite a few years, and was really moved by the videos Playing For Change had made, and also by the way they invest in music and education in the countries they travel to,” Browne says. “Playing For Change makes such a positive impact on everyone they come into contact with – players and viewers alike. They connect people all over the world in ways that transcend our cultural differences.”
This new version of “Doctor, My Eyes” is the latest in a series of Playing For Change videos where artists revisit their classic works. Prior videos have featured Robbie Robertson and “The Weight,” John Paul Jones and “When The Levee Breaks,” Peter Gabriel and “Biko,” and Carlos Santana and “Oye Como Va.”
Jackson Browne, meanwhile, just wrapped up a four-night stand at New York’s Beacon Theater. The tour resumes October 6 with a five-night residency at the Venetian Theatre in Las Vegas. The U.S. leg wraps up later that month with three shows at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles.
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