The muggy weather completed the mood, as sounds and grooves as rich as Georgia clay filled the steamy Greek Theatre on Wednesday night to feel like a Southern music fest of fun, fancy and frets..
After a rocking blues set by guitarist Doyle Bramhall II’s band, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings turned the open aired theatre into a low ceiling juke joint with an electrifying and smoky set. The 11 pieced Dap-Kings, which included 2 backing vocalists, 3 horns, 2 drummers, 2 guitarists, a bassist and a percussionist, was tighter than J-Lo’s New Years Eve outfit as the flapper-dressed Jones mixed the feel and verve of Gladys Knight with the energy of Tina Turner. The Stax-sounding horns and seismic rhythm team provided an irresistible groove for Jones as she stomped with joy through “Stranger to my Happiness” and a fervent read of “I Heard it Through the Grapevine.” She showed her dancing chops as she took the crowd through a tour of the dance steps from 1965, as she Ponied, Boogalooed and Funky Chickened until the barometric pressure rose about 10 notches. She showed her heart of a lion as she doo-wopped on “Every Beat of My Heart,” delivered a foreboding “She Ain’t a Child No More” and gave a testimony to God healing her of cancer on the Sunday Revival-ed “Get Up and Get Out.” Closing with a swampy and soulful read of “This Land is Your Land,” Ms. Jones and the Dap Kings mixed the home grown flavors of the South with a celebration of American life, with enough spice to enliven any dry rub BBQ
The Tedeschi Trucks band demonstrates the strengths of joys of true marriage. You’d think that Susan Tedeschi, with her guitar picking style on the Strat, her earthy voice and 9th Grade History teacher looks, would have “irreconcilable differences” with her tacit husband Derek Trucks, who’s Wood Shop instructor deameanor and thumb/finger strolling style on his Gibson would cause many a domestic quarrel. But as all wise couples discover, differences are meant to complement each other, and the spoused exemplified marriage better than any weekend seminar.
The ensemble of 3 horns, 2 drummers, organist, 3 vocalists and bassist was in an electrifying mood as Tedeschi’s fervent voice growled like street preacher as Trucks made finger licking good work of his guitar on “Are You Ready/Make Up Your Mind” and the vibrant “Do I Look Worried.” Tedeschi then took you to the back porch on a starry night as the tender ballad “Midnight In Harlem” had her bring out a heartfelt lilt to her passioned lyrics. Trucks’s patented mix on the slide guitar of Wes Montgomery’s thumb and Charlie Christian’s finger work on the boogie rock “Get What You Deserve” was a textbook display for the Memphis Gibson manufacturing plant. A country rock read of The Beatles’ “I’ve Got A Feeling” lead to an inspiring “Idle Wind” that featured Kofi Burbridge’s floating flute with dreamy guitar work glilding through the slithering rhythm section with the grace of the Chattooga River.
The heat went up a few butanes when Bramhall brought his axe back on stage for a bluesy “Key to the Highway” and “All That I Need” before Ms. Jones bounced to the foreground again with a foot stomping “Tell Mama” that brought out the inner-boogie of every mellow Angeleno. By the time they closed with “The Storm” and encored with ”Bound For Glory” Tedeschi & Trucks delivered a perfect demonstration of the equal yet different God given roles that all happy marriages, both musical and domestic, are able to perform, with results that please both partners and the watching world.
Upcoming shows include Willie Nelson w/ Allison Krause July 18 and Jon Bonamassa July 29