Thanks to YouTube we have this amazing clip of Todd Rundgren, Taj Mahal, David Sanborn, Pat Metheny, and more, performing Gilbert and Sullivan's "Never Mind the Why and Wherefore".

(What!?!?)

A few notes:

This is from David Sanborn's Night Music television show which ran from 1988 to 1990. Sanborn brought together an amazingly diverse set of the best musicians around and the result was always interesting. This particluar clip was clearly one of the more out there moments.

The performances here are all delightful. I'm even digging the guy on turntables. And the triangle player.

The woman is Michelle Gray, and she does a fantastic job. (Later she'd be known as Mrs. Rundgren.)

Todd Rundgren is apparently a Gilbert and Sullivan fan, and the driving force behind the selection. That makes sense if you listen to "Onomatopoeia" or "An ElPees Worth of Toons". And he's sort of directing things here.

It's a major cultural loss that Night Music was cancelled, that there is no show remotely like this on today, and that the show is not available on DVD. Here's a Petition to Release Night Music, but I doubt it'll fly.