Maynard's seventies and eighties era closers were always more about showmanship and spectacle than they were about music.  His big, programmatic charts were designed to send all of the kids out giggling and screaming, and they certainly succeeded in doing that.  For a time, Maynard was a rock star in a jazz context, so I didn't mind Hey Jude so much.  Heck, I got tired of Gonna Fly Now, but I understood why Maynard had to play it.  Even Pagliacci, my all time favorite "big" closing number, was more about drama and spectacle than music, and yet Maynard's artistry, musicality, and personality transcended all of those charts' shortcomings for me.  Maynard closed with Hey Jude the very first time I saw him.  I'll never forget that moment, and believe me, despite its weaknesses, I'd give anything to hear him play it one more time.