The Concert For Love

By the time I got there, Paul Jackson Jr. must have performed, because I didn't see him until the very end of the show. Hey, it's not my fault there was an incredibly long line at the bar. I waited ten minutes I believe for an gold passion Alize, and saw some nice older-looking females en-route. Key words, older-looking. I mean, I understand that my musical tastes are a tad mature for my age, but c'mon, there was not one young lady as far as my eye could see!
OK, maybe it was just my eyes.
Or, maybe this was a grown and sexy affair.
But in any event, three GPA's took all of that away.
So there I was, in the balcony section; two much older women to my left, taking turns with the binoculars, and eventually hooking me up. A well dressed dude to my right, who smirks at everyone coming in late and leaving early at the performance, making us stand up so they can pass through in the process. Soon enough, we all had to make comments to one another about the night. The elders didn't drink much, so I was left with the guy to do most of the drinking. A couple of cuties here, grown thangs there, young enough for his appetite, yet too old for mine. I felt so out of place, but nothing a fifth GPA couldn't fix.

Mindi Abair
I really haven't heard this particular artist before. But she did a great intro to the show, just for me. Very energetic with her music, almost hard-hitting. Her interpretation of Stop To Love was different to what I'd expect. But it was good nonetheless. I gotta start buying some more music. B+

Ledisi
Is there a scatting school, or something? It must have been taught by Al Jarreau or Anita Baker, because this Ledisi graduated at the top of her class!
It was not her rendition of My Sensitivity (Gets In The Way) that impressed me. It was how she made that song her own that impressed me. This is one person I want to look out for! A-

Kirk Whalum
Anyone who knows me knows that Any Love is the song that I keep close to me the most. It relates to me in every level possible. And Luther's version could not be done any better. But when you take one of my favorite tracks, and have it done by one of my favorite jazz performers, you have yourself a winner. And that's what you have with Kirk Whalum, who not only did good guest starring in Ledisi's performance, but held his own perfectly. Thumbs and glasses up! A+

Dave Koz
God, I didnt know the man was so, so...
Short!
But for a short guy, he had a lot of energy, and used it flawlessly in Can't Let You Go (The Sha-La-La Song) from The Dance. Fan participation ensued, and my row got the highest grade. I give him full for that. A-

Brian Culbertson
From there, Koz and Brian Culbertson performed If Only For One Night, and I was treated to 4 minutes of some mean keyboard playing, compliments of Culbertson. He has a feel for the instrument, that he was hitting unnecessary high notes with ease and usefulness. He went on to perform a track outside the Vandross venue, and I didn't quite catch the name. So I sat there and was amused some more by his playing. Cool performance. Cool. A-

Paul Culbertson
Now we were treated to a jazz trio! Trumet, sax, and keyboard came together in another outside-Vandross track, and at that point, it was all about having a good time with the music. And that's exactly what the three amigos did, have a good time. For a moment, they had too good a time; but it all gelled together in the end. A-

Gerald Albright
When Gerald Albright came to the stage, I bowed in respect to who I thought was the best contemporary jazz sax player alive today. I guess that someone saw me bow, and decided to follow suit by saying "All hail, King Albright!" Then, another nut said that Albright's "his daddy." This drew lots of humor from my area of the crowd, and for a time, caught the attention of Albright, as he hinted that someone had one Hypnotiq too many.
There's a reason I bow in respect to the dude. So Amazing played, and the guy hits that second stanza high note like only Albright can. He brought a new respect to the song, and if the fact he's Gerald Albright doesn't mean anything, his performance does. A+

Richard Elliot
Anyone who has heard his rendition of When A Man Loves A Woman knew exactly what they were in for going into that night at MSG. His swagger and dirty touch to jazz made Your Secret Love anew. I love how he digs deep to the ground and reaches up to get the feel and the note he's looking for. His whole style is different; but in being that way, every rendition he does is like his own. I gotta respect that. A

Will Downing
This is where the sixth GPA kicks in. I dunno whether Downing's version of Wait For Love came before Koz, before Albright, or whether he was the one who performed it or not. All I know is that the rendition had us all singing along. I liked his version, and though I want to give it a creditable grade, my mind was pretty shot at that point. So, from what I remember...
B+
I wish all my professors graded so nicely...

Lalah Hathaway
I did not expect the deep voice that is Lalah Hathaway when she did Forever, For Always, For Love; that goes to show I've haven't finished listening to the CD yet. But after listening to it now, it doesn't compare to hearing her live version. You can tell she follows the song with much zeal. It's very different to what I expected, but nonetheless, she has a soul and a voice that are unparallel with anything currently out there. So much so, she's the next artist I'm investing in. A

Patti Labelle
Leave it to Patti to be extravagant. Leave it to Patti to tell a story while singing. Leave it to Patti to warn everyone do not vote for Bush. Leave it to her to tell it like it is, and lean back. She clearly has not aged in her performance. And you know what, at that point I lost all interest in the song she was singing, because her voice done shot up my ear drums. But, she was the one and only showstopper of the night. And for someone with diabetes, that says a lot. B+

Special Guest - Freddie Jackson
This is the part I hate about these group concert affairs. The grand finale. Where one-by-two-by-three, all the acts come back for one last hurrah. And to what song does this happen? Love Power/Power of Love, led by Freddie Jackson. It was pretty decent, for the most part. But again, the finale suffers from what every finale of its kind suffers from, dragged out endings, near-chaos amongst performers, and usual off-key singing. While there wasn't any of the last two instances, the finale was thoroughly dragged out. I give Mr. Jackson credit for doing a not-so-bad job with that finale; though a choir would have helped tremendously with this particular track. B

All in all, a great show. And here's some magic for you, as indicated by Deborah Rath; the eclipse (you know, that thing that happens every eight years which covers the moon) occurred that very night. With that eclipse, and all the audience having a good time, they made this night special for Luther. It would have been awesome though to see him live somehow, just to see his face and know he's recovering okay. Or maybe, he could've been in the audience clapping at every performance. I know I've prayed for much too much (uh-oh, where have I heard that before??), but it would have been great.
I imagine it as I type. After his mother is reintroduced for the fourth time, Rath comes back out and says "this night was made particularly for him, and who better to show that than the incomparable, Luther Vandross!!" Luther stands up, and is assisted to the stage, as we the audience give a rousing fifteen minute ovation. After finally controlling the crowd to silence, he tells all how thankful he was of our attendance, and that he'll be back on (fixed date left to your imagination). Thanks for our continuning support, and keep it coming, because it's love that brought us all out here, and (he starts to sing) I believe in the power... of love.

I mean, can a brother dream, or can't he?!
Now, let's see the R&B chart-toppers do a concert for Luther!!!!
Concert For Love - A


Election Day
Okay katz and kittenz, today's the big day. It's time that our name's be heard. So go out there, and cast your vote for Kerry!
No, I shouldn't say that. You really should vote for who you believe will represent your beliefs and opinions, and will work best for our country. What I mean to say is this, if after the last four years you do not like how George W. Dubya Bush has ran our country, then take no chances, take no prisoners, and vote for Kerry. Sure, I don't trust him, and sure I don't like him. But, in a war between the two evils, he is the lesser of the two. And in this election, a vote that is not for Kerry will in the end only aid Bush. So if you're the die-hard republican, you know what you must do. But for the rest of us who want to see some change, or at least see how this Kerry/Edwards duo will make that change, boot Bush out!! Vote for Kerry!

And if you don't like my advice, then dammit, just go out and vote!


And may this election not end in tragedy. Amen.