I just wanted to check in with a quick report on the Billy Paul show = over at Gloria's Seafood in the Fairmount section of Philly on Sunday = afternoon 9/16/2001. The SOLD OUT show was excellent I would estimate the crowd to be around 200 I was there for the first set, which began at 4pm The crowd was "Old School Philadelphia", not unlike the crowd that I was = a part of last November at Showmans Lounge in Harlem for the Jack McDuff = benefit show, just shortly before his passing. =20 ................BRO JACK MCDUFF http://www.soul-patrol.com/jazz/mcduff.htm=20 <a href=3D" http://www.soul-patrol.com/jazz/mcduff.htm "> AOL Link for = BRO JACK MCDUFF </a>=20 This was the "1950's pinky ring wearing folks" that reminded me of = friends of my parents. These are the REAL "old school people", who have = not only seen it ALL, they have also "DONE IT ALL" Billy performed a wonderful 1 hour "classic jazz" set complete with = scatting and vocal gymnastics, with a few of his R&B hits from the 70's = mixed in. Those of you who think of him strictly as a "pop singer" are going to be = pleasantly surprised=20 Anyhow, here is a song by song review. =B7 WHERE ARE YOU BILLY BOY=20 Billy strolls out onstage in a BLCK VELVET SUIT AND HAT. The "brim" is = just that, it's the type of "brim" that my grandfather used to wear, = that 1950's style SERIOUS "brim". The song is autobiographical and = seems to be fitting this crowd who is also "old school Philadelphia". = Billy is genuinely happy to be on the stage and singing to "his people", = PHILLY STYLE! Billy mentions to the audience "I started out as singing = jazz, most people don't know that". He also dispenses with his jacket=20 =B7 BILLY'S BACK HOME=20 Another autobiographical song. If you have a copy of Billy's new LIVE = CD called "LIVE WORLD TOUR" (which you can order from his website at: ) = then you are quite familiar with it. Billy continues in the same = groove, also acknowledging folks in the audience that he knows as well = as a few relatives.. Billy cooks right along with the trio that is = backing him up. The inclusion of these two songs right at the beginning = of the set seem to be designed to establish Bill's comfort level with = the audience. The audience claps on each note that Billy sings. He is = singing jazz and you can tell that both Billy and the audience are in a = groove together. Once that comfort level is established, it is clear = that we are all in for a treat. =B7 JUST IN TIME=20 Billy starts the song out by saying that he is hot, and starts rolling = up his sleeves. A woman blurts out.."take off the shirt", Billy laughs = and proceeds to roll up his sleeves and then, Billy starts a scattin and = the audience starts to lose it! =B7 OLD FOLKS=20 Billy announces: This next song is dedicated to Mr. Eddie Green, who = was the arranger of Billy's 1970's hit song "This Is My Life" and who = also played on the 1972 Grammy winner, "Me and Mrs Jones". I thought = that was a nice tribute. Here you could visually see Billy "FEELIN IT" = as his body "contorts" in a different direction with each note that he = sings =B7 SLEEPING BEE=20 Just as all good jazz singers do, Billy Paul turns his voice into an = instrument and literally becomes "just another member of the band"! He = sings "high" and "low" based on the "swing" of the other instruments in = the band. He improvises at the same time as he follows =B7 EBONY WOMAN=20 Billy starts this song out for a moment of silence for the victims of = the events of 9/11/2001 and adds "we got to pray together and stay = together, no matter what goes down". He also mentions the fat that he = will be leaving in a few days to do a series of concerts in Brazil and = then on to do more shows in Paris. Then he dedicates this beautiful = love song which you all might remember from his 1970's LP entitled = "Ebony Woman" to his wife Blanche (who happened to be sitting right next = to me). The song itself is an anthem to ALL Black women. Billy sings = the HELL out of it! =B7 THANKS FOR SAVING MY LIFE=20 Billy's "Uncle Woody" happens to be sitting in the audience and so he = dedicates this song to him. The song as many of you will recall is a = mid tempo tune, so "Uncle Woody" gets up and starts dancing near his = table. Billy reacts by beginning to take a stroll thru the audience = first over to "Uncle Woody" and then later moving with ease throughout = the rest of the audience, seemingly "thanking them as well"! =B7 LOVE BUDDIES=20 There is NO WAY I could possibly be objective about this song. At the = very beginning of the song Billy starts talking about Soul-Patrol, = giving the members BIG PROPS for providing a wealth of information about = the past present and future of Black music/culture and preserving it for = future generations. He also spoke of it in terms of the "internet = family" that has also grown up around it. I suppose the title of the = song says it all? Then Billy asks me to stand up and take a bow for the = audience and they begin to applaud me! It was a surreal moment for me = on a personal level, and one that I will always cherish. =B7 APRIL IN PARIS/I LOVE PARIS=20 Singing STANDARDS is a true test for anyone who calls themselves a "jazz = singer". Billy takes these two standards and forms a beautiful medley = out of them. His interpretation is soulful and emotional. Personally = I'd like to see him do an entire album of this type of music =B7 ME AND MRS JONES=20 Billy starts out this song by saying that people ask me all of the time, = if I'm ever going to do a sequel to Mrs Jones and I have told them that = Mrs. Jones Stands Alone". One of the things that must be truly = frustrating for any artist is to be known as a "one hit wonder". It = must be especially frustrating when the artist when you have had a = career that actually has consumed over 40 YEARS of time and you have = worked with everyone from Gamble and Huff, the whole Philadelphia = International crew (Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, O'Jays, Intruders, = etc), the "old school" Philadelphia Jazz Tradition (John Coltrane, Lee = Morgan, Sun Ra,etc), DOO WOP (the Flamingos) and more. How frustrating = must it be when you have had such a full and diverse career, to not only = be pigeonholed as an "R&B singer", but even worse to be know to most of = the public as a "one hit wonder""? Surely there must be a "love/hate" = relationship with that one song? =20 Instead, he sings the HELL out of the song! He moves about the audience with ease, selecting women in the audience = to sing certain parts to individually. With each successive lady that = Billy sings to, that lady SWOONS and soon he's got the entire audience = of females SWOONING along! The concert ends on a high note with Billy thanking everyone for coming = out! Billy Paul surely deserves a better treatment in history than he has = been given to this point in his career. At this point in time he wants = to be known as a "jazz singer" and surely he's got the talent to do = exactly that. If you get a chance to go and see him live, please do so and after the = show, you will be more than pleased! For those of you who are unable to catch Billy perform live, I would = highly recommend picking up on his "LIVE WORLD TOUR CD", which is = available from his website at the following link: http://www.soul-patrol.com/cgi-bin/director.cgi?0015 <a href=3D" http://www.soul-patrol.com/cgi-bin/director.cgi?0015 ">AOL = LINK: BILLY PAUL'S WEBSITE <a> Feel free to drop Billy an email directly from the site and when you do, = be sure to tell him that I said hello! ------------------------------------------------------ Bob Davis ------------------------------------------------------ http://www.soul-patrol.com/ - Click Here For SOUL PATROL ------------------------------------------------------ http://music.bb.prodigy.net/ - Click Here for PRODIGY MUSIC ------------------------------------------------------
