In His Element – Eric Roberson Live

Posted on November 22, 2013 by BuddahDesmond611

Image courtesy of The Urban Daily and Eric Roberson’s Official Website.

A live performance can be the ultimate experience to get inside of the soul, spirit, and passion of an artist and their music. The music comes to life. Your senses are titillated. Deeper meanings are unveiled. And by show’s end, your love, respect, and appreciation for the artist has grown immensely. That’s what happens when you see Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Eric “Erro” Roberson live.

What instantly connected with me was the realness, tenderness, vulnerability, and soul of Erro’s music. His music comes from a pure place–his heart. These distinguishing qualities are what continue to make Erro’s music and artistry so unique.

When Erro’s on the stage, you can’t help but be touched by his delivery and presentation. The happiness and joy that beams from his face as he performs is undeniable. It’s quite clear he loves what he does. And the energy from the audience further fuels his passion.

From original and re-imagined versions of his hits (“The Moon,” “Still,” “Dealing,” “Previous Cats,” “Couldn’t Hear Me,” and “Borrow You” to name a few), songs made on the fly with the help of the audience, and ingenious interpretations of songs he admires (like his jazzy take on the Notorious B.I.G.’s “Big Poppa”), Erro and his band will leave you spellbound.

To say that Erro will keep you entertained is an understatement. Erro in concert is a show you don’t want to miss!

Our Love Continues to Grow for Swing Out Sister

Posted on August 22, 2013 by BuddahDesmond611

Image courtesy of Quest Music.

I appreciate my family for instilling such a deep love and respect for music. Our taste in music is os a wide-ranging and eclectic. We listen to everything. One group that my family has loved for nearly 30 years is Swing Out Sister.

It was 1987 when we found ourselves transfixed with Swing Out Sister’s first two singles “Breakout” and “Twilight World,” from their debut album It’s Better To Travel. I was 5 at the time. We became diehards overnight. We played It’s Better To Travel so much the CD started to skip incessantly (much to our chagrin). If it wasn’t for the CD cleaner, that album would not have made it into the 90s and beyond.

In July, we had the chance to see Swing Out Sister play to a sold-out audience at The Birchmere in Alexandria, VA. It was a night that we will cherish forever. Here in the U.S., fans have been waiting for a Swing Out Sister tour for quite some time. The North American dates for their 2010 tour were canceled due to the eruption of an Icelandic volcano. As a result, which flights were grounded for several weeks throughout Europe. Luckily, nothing could keep Swing Out Sister away from their fans any longer.

Image courtesy of Band On The Wall.

Swing Out Sister is the kind of musical ensemble that sound superb in the studio, but even more live. The presentation, energy, and musicianship is astounding. Their musical arrangements are some of the best you’ll here anywhere. Because they continually reinterpret their hits, their music has a refreshing, ingenious quality. Within these reinterpretations you hear many of Swing Out Sister’s influences—the sounds of Motown, Burt Bacharach, Phil Spector, Donny Hathaway, Donald Byrd, The 5th Dimension, and The Delfonics (amongst others). Sometimes they’ll weave the melodies of some of their influences’ songs into their own tunes. The result is a sweet, lush melding of Pop, R&B/Soul, Jazz, Latin, and Funk. Some might call it Sophisticated Pop. It’s familiar yet very unique.

Corinne Drewery, the lead singer/songwriter, looked and sounded flawless. Her voice is like velvet, warm and seductive. She remains one of the most stylish women in the industry. Andy Connell, pianist/keyboardist/songwriter and the Swing Out Sister band played to the hilt. They played selections from just about every album in their catalog, with hits and fan favorites such as: “Incomplete Without You,” “Notgonnachange,” “You On My Mind,” “La La Means I Love You,” “Stone Soul Picnic,” “Am I The Same Girl,” “Everyday Crime,” “Breakout” and “Twilight World.”

Image courtesy of NY Daily News.

Swing Out Sister took us to a musical wonderland, somewhere deep in the night. And we didn’t want the night to end. Much like their song “Love Won’t Let You Down,” Swing Out Sister won’t let you down either.

A FAB Friday Night Experience – Jody Watley Live at DC’s Howard Theatre

Posted on July 31, 2013 by BuddahDesmond611

All images shot by Vickey Ford, courtesy of CentricTV’s Soulsessions Blog.

It’s no secret that I’ve been a long-time Jody Watley fan. But sadly I had yet to attend one of her concerts. So when I found out that she was coming to The Howard Theatre in DC on July 19, 2013, I knew I had to move quickly to get tickets. I’m so pleased that I did. It was an experience, a Friday Night Experience, that I will never forget. The show was also special in that it was Watley’s first in DC in 25 years and it was the last show as part of her summer tour.

While I’d never seen Jody Watley live before, I expected a high-energy show. And that it was—a 90-minute extravaganza with superb vocals, top-notch musicianship, ever-stylish garb, and tight, bodacious choreography. The show was a FAB chronicle of Watley’s career—where’s she been and where she’s going. Watley opened the show with the funky disco soul jam “Nightlife” and “The Dawn,” new songs from her forthcoming 10th studio album Paradise. The response from the audience was overwhelming. Watley turned the Howard Theatre out with just the first two songs, and she was just getting started.

Watley kept the momentum going by taking us back to her days as a member of the legendary group Shalamar, with a spirited medley of hits featuring “Second Time Around,” “A Night To Remember,” and “Take That To The Bank.” Watley effortlessly commanded the stage and continued to shut it down with spot-on performances of her enduring hits like “Friends,” “Some Kind of Lover,” “I Want You,” “Your Love Keeps Working On Me,” “Don’t You Want Me,” Still A Thrill,” and “Looking For A New Love.”

One of the most affecting moments of the show was the ballad section. Though the tempo slowed down slightly, the energy and emotion remained quite strong. Watley kicked off this section of the show with a beautiful, stirring performance of “Everything.” Soulful, jazzy, stripped down, reflective reinterpretations of “When A Man Loves A Woman” and “Most Of All” followed. Watley’s ability to reinvent and find new meaning in her music showcased the artistry, growth, and maturity that has sustained her nearly 40 year career.

After almost 40 years in this business…6 of them in Shalamar – I remain with all my success a virtual underdog. I appreciate those who really get it. My name may not grace the headlines or be a gossip and celebrity blog staple, however I continue to do ‘the work’ as a viable quality artist; while enjoying my journey with all of it’s twists, turns, highs, lows – hits, misses and triumphs. That’s life baby. ~ Jody Watley, 2013

From Disco, Pop, Funk, Hip-Hop, to R&B/Soul, what would a Jody Watley show be without Dance, House, and Electronic music? After all, Watley’s been one of the EDM genre’s innovators for many years. Her performances of “I’m The One You Need” and “Saturday Night Experience” were more than evident of this. Never a substitute, always authentic. Only the real thing. Watley closed out the show with one of her biggest hits “Real Love,” leaving us all wanting more.

Watley’s artistry, style, consistency, and forward-thinking continues to blaze trails. Without a doubt, she’s still got it. And we wait anxiously to see just what she’ll do next. Whatever it is, we know it will be FAB!

Listen to a preview of Jody Watley’s new single “Nightlife” from her forthcoming album Paradise below.

Jazz Performance at Twins Jazz [VIDEO]

Posted on January 30, 2013 by BuddahDesmond611

Always in a jazzy mood, I thought I’d share a jazz performance I did at Twins Jazz in DC about two years ago. This was part of the finale performance for a Jazz Vocal Workshop, led by the extraordinary Chris Grasso, I participated in for 8 weeks. Backed by The Chris Grasso Trio, I sang “When Your Lover Is Gone,” “Lush Life,” and “Sometimes I’m Happy.”

I had a blast participating in the workshop and performing (always). I look forward to participating in the workshop again some time in the future. If you’re in the DC Metro Area, I highly recommend it.

101 Days Project: Music Tributes & Reviews

Posted on October 3, 2012 by BuddahDesmond611

As those who read my blog know, music has always played an immense role in my life. I feel irregular when I don’t hear it, feel it, sing along to it, or speak about it. The 101 Days Project has given me the opportunity to write about music on a more consistent basis. I’ve written a series of tributes/homages and reviews of artists I feel are/were representations of artistry at its best… Artists whose contributions to music come from a place that’s so much deeper than what you hear and see on the surface… Artists who touch your heart and soul and can move you with a single line, a simple movement or gesture, or the slightest bend or shade of a note. I truly believe music is the universal language of life (and love is the nourishment our lifeforce needs to survive). I plan to share more about my love of music and those who I feel are using it not only to make us groove but to bring us together and tell our stories.

Check out the following music tributes and reviews featured in the 101 Days Project:

Day 101: Teedra Moses, The Lioness Live in DC

Posted on September 15, 2012 by BuddahDesmond611

Image by Everyday LaVan Photography c/o The Howard Theatre.

On September 7, 2012, after seven years of waiting, I was finally blessed to The Lioness, singer-songwriter Teedra Moses live. Moses opened her “Lamb 2 Lion” tour in DC at The Howard Theatre. She dazzled on the stage. Her show included a well-paced set of favorites from her debut album and her mixtapes, along with several inspired, well-received cuts from her soon-to-be-released sophomore album The Lioness. The show was further proof that she is one of the most underrated R&B/Soul singers in the game.

It’s actually been eight years since the release of Moses’ debut album Complex Simplicity. The album was released to great critical acclaim but to little commercial fanfare. However since that time, she’s developed quite a devoted following. Her beloved live shows are well-attended and her mixtapes tend to be better than some of your favorite contemporary artists’ albums. Moses has released 5 mixtapes, her most recent was 2011’s Luxurious Undergrind (released a few months after being signed to Rick Ross’ Maybach Music Group).

Moses wasted no time getting the crowd hype by opening her show with the lead single from Luxurious Undergrind, “Another Luvr,” with an interpolation of Soul II Soul’s “Back To Life.” Moses turned in stellar performances, especially on songs like “Take Me,” which featured her talented background vocalist Jeret Black (or J. Black), “You’ll Never Find (A Better Woman),” “Complex Simplicity,” “You Better Tell Her,” which featured Carl Kelly, “Caught Up,” and her sultry classic “R U 4real (freestyle).” Moses’ voice, pure, smooth, and soulful, glided effortlessly over the music. She possesses one of the most beautiful voices in the industry. She’s also one of the few contemporary artists who sound even better live than they do in the studio.

Moses developed a great rapport with the audience instantaneously. She rapped to the audience like we were best friends or family throughout the show. At the beginning of her encore for example, she talked about how crazy Hollywood is and how difficult it is trying to keep one’s composure when dealing with the insanity. She said she’s a sweet, down-to-earth person who is so not Hollywood. But she made it a point to say that while she may be sweet—don’t fuck with her (yet another reason why we love her). Moses had planned to perform a song she wrote entitled “Hollywood,” in which see sings about the craziness of the industry, but opted instead to pay homage to Rufus & Chaka Khan by singing an impassioned version of their song of the same name. Moses closed the show with the sexy, fan favorite “Backstroke.”

Image by Everyday LaVan Photography c/o The Howard Theatre.

Another memorable element of the show was the live art. During the show, DC artist Demont “Peekaso” Pinder painted a beautiful portrait of singer-songwriter extraordinaire Sade, Moses’ favorite singer. I had the opportunity to meet the extremely talented Peekaso after the show. He’s mad cool. For more information about Peekaso and his work, go to: http://www.demontpeekaso.net/.

After the show, Moses greeted and took pictures with fans. The fact that she takes the time to meet her fans after her shows is a testament to how much she loves and appreciates them. Having met Moses, I have to say how refreshing it was to meet a celebrity who is so sweet and laid-back in-person. Some celebrities turn the shade, pretense, and ego on when meeting their fans. Not Moses. She may be a natural rock star, but she’s approachable. And this translates quite well into her music and her live shows. Her artistry comes from a passionate, genuine, authentic place. That’s what makes it so easy for fans to relate to her and her music.

I highly recommend catching Moses on her “Lamb 2 Lion” tour. Aside from Luxurious Undergrind, I promise you it’s the perfect musical treat to tie you over until her sophomore album The Lioness is released later this year.

Buddah Desmond

Author of Prevail: Poems on Life, Love, and Politics

Category Archives: Live Music