ELTON TOWERS: The famed Capitol Tower’s Studio B was the place to be last night as UMG boss Lucian Grainge and Capitol Records’ Steve Barnett were among the luminaries greeting the lucky few for a five-song preview of Elton John’s new album for the label, The Diving Board, his first solo effort in nearly seven years, since 2006’s The Captain and the Kid. Inspired by his work on The Union with Leon Russell, Elton tapped T Bone Burnett to produce, and the results are an album that returns the singer-songwriter-piano player to his roots, most done with just a trio, including bassist Raphael Saadiq. Burnett introduced five songs from the new album, including the title track, then Elton hit the makeshift stage, admitting his nerves, to perform three of them, including “New Fever Waltz,” a New Orleans style number complete with brass section, “Home Again,” a song that looked backwards to where he’s come from, and the upbeat “Mexican Vacation.” After an interview session with the Grammy Museum’s Robert Santelli, Elton sat back down behind the piano to reward us with an “oldie” in “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues.” Also enjoying the show: Capitol’s Dan McCarroll, Michelle Jubelirer, Greg Thompson and Ron Spaulding, UMGD’s Jim Urie, UMe's Bruce Resnikoff, managers John Barbis and Larry Jenkins, Blue Note Prexy Don Was, lyricist Bernie Taupin, rock legend Bobby Neuwirth and publicist Paula Batson, NBC’s Chuck LaBella and Hitfix’s Melinda Newman, among many others. As far as we know, no pot was smoked during the show, but we're not swearing about anything that happened beforehand. (4/12p)