James Blake has been treating fans to livestream performances since quarantine began, covering everything from Radiohead to Stevie Wonder. On Saturday, the singer-songwriter hosted a “piano improv concert” via Instagram while encouraging viewers to donate to Rachel Cargle’s Loveland Foundation, “who provide opportunity, access, and therapy for Black women and girls.”
During the set, Blake turned Nirvana’s “Come As You Are” into a soulful piano ballad, as requested by a fan, and honestly we’re surprised with how well it works. Watch the cover below.
Blake isn’t the only musician to cover Nirvana during lockdown. Last month, Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo covered “Heart-Shaped Box,” and in April Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard put his spin on “All Apologies,” while Post Malone and Blink-182’s Travis Barker performed a full Nirvana tribute set.
“…from playing songs off Bleach to In Utero their catalog of music is timeless and it’s just amazing,” Barker gushed to SPIN about learning the setlist. “Yes, I did have to listen with a different ear and Dave Grohl’s parts were challenging.”
In other Nirvana news, Kurt Cobain’s famed MTV Unplugged guitar recently sold for more than $6 million at auction, setting a new world record.
