Solomon Burke left this world to join his family and Savior in heaven back in 2010, but he left here a testament of his own; a smokin’ concert from the Montreux Fest of 2006 that shows all that’s right with music and all that is wrong with today’s music. On this cd (and dvd) King Solomon is reigning from his throne, seated the entire time, but he’s ruling just the same. He surveys the audience and figures out how to “work” them. By the halfway point of the show, he uses “ Johnny B Goode” to get this staid middle class group of Baby Boomers off of their seats and on their feet, dancing and stomping and having a generally great time.
Burke was one of the links from old school R&B to modern soul, and this show includes the voice, attitude and sounds that made it work. Classic doo woppers like “Baby What You Want Me To Do” go down funky , while his churchified “Down in the Valley” links the secular with the sacred. A couple of hot medleys dedicated to his roots include verifiable versions of “Fa-Fa-Fa…” as well as “Tutti Frutti” and “Having a Party.” The whole show, Burke is swinging, swaying and waving his arms as he directs the traffic for the band and crowd, and his preachin’ voice testifies like a Sunday Prayer meeting on “This Little Light of Mine” showing the real Soul behind soul music. A lesson for music fans of all generations, with a link to the roots.
Eagle Rock Entertainment
Eagle Vision DVD
www.eaglerockent.com