Newman: We Lost a Great One

Saturday morning I went to HuffingtonPost.com to read the recap of the first Obama-McCain debate from the night before. On the home page, I was greeted with the unwelcome news that fellow Clevelander, Paul Newman, had lost his battle with cancer, succumbing at age 83.

Newman came up in the age of Brando, Dean, McQueen and Clift, actually replacing Dean following his death in 'Somebody Up There Likes Me'. Like those great performers, Newman was a student of the 'Method' school of acting, taught by The Actors Studio in New York. Unlike those actors, Newman largely avoided scandal, diminished skills and peculiar behavior. Not a fan of Hollywood, Newman and his wife Joanne Woodward moved to Connecticut shortly after Newman's career solidified and never considered Los Angeles home.

Newman had an unbelievable run of great roles in the fifties, sixties and seventies. Just a few include Hud, Harper, Cool Hand Luke, Billy the Kid, Judge Roy Bean, Rocky Graziano, 'Fast' Eddie Felson and of course, Butch Cassidy. Always a fine actor, the eighties found Newman piercing a deeper layer of performance. A naturalism so real, he just blended into a role and seemed more relaxed than ever. Starting with 'Absence of Malice', continuing through 'The Verdict', 'The Color of Money' and culminating with 'Nobody's Fool' (the role Newman said was the closest to his true self that he'd ever portrayed), Paul Newman became a consumate actor; one that I think we tended to take for granted because he was so consistently excellent.

Shortly after I joined Sony, I had the opportunity to oversee an interview with Paul Newman for the upcoming 'Absence of Malice' DVD. Taking place in New York at a subdued, elegant hotel on the upper West Side, we were due to share a camera crew with A&E's Biography show. Upon arrival, the cameraman told us, "be careful, he's cranky today".

We walked in, and there he was, sitting in a chair, reading a paper, ignoring the crew as they redressed the set for us. We were introduced, he said hello and put his head back in his newspaper. Feeling brave, I said: "Mr. Newman, may I ask you a quick question?" Without looking up, he said "sure". I said, "where was your father's sporting goods store located in Shaker Heights?"

Newman looked up at me, clearly surprised. "What do you know about my dad's shop?" I told him I was from Cleveland and had always heard about it, but never knew where it was. He put the paper down and told me about the shop and what it was like growing up in Cleveland. He asked what part of town I was from and then spent the next ten minutes telling me stories about Cleveland proper vs. Shaker Heights. When he spoke, the glint in his eye and the smile on his face melted at least twenty years away.

The interview ultimately went well. Newman generally didn't like talking about his craft, but he was a good sport and told some great stories. Following the interview, I asked him for any tips to get Robert Redford to do interviews for his DVDs. Newman said it would be rough, because Redford really didn't like to see how he used to look in his glory days.

The next day we did interviews with Martin Scorsese and Robert DeNiro for 'Taxi Driver'. That was substantial, but Paul Newman, ah...that was the gold standard.

Ten Newman flicks you must see:

1. Hud
2. The Hustler
3. Harper
4. Hombre
5. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
6. The Sting
7. SlapShot
8. Absence of Malice
9. Fort Apache The Bronx
10. Nobody's Fool

Quantum of Anticipation

This year has been a pretty good one for movies, from surprising blockbusters like 'Iron Man', an even better than expected Batman sequel; quirky, cool indie flicks like 'In Bruges' and the return of the western via Ed Harris's engaging 'Apaloosa'. Then there are small, satisfying flicks like 'Vicki Christina Barcelona', 'Man on Wire' and 'The Duchess', that take the stench out of stinkers like 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' and anticipated clunkers like Frank Miller's take on 'The Spirit'. But with that said, the movie event of the year for me is on November 14th, with the release of the 22nd James Bond adventure, 'Quantum of Solace'.

I've been a hardcore Bond fan since I was a kid, watching 'Goldfinger' on ABC's Sunday Night Movie. That was one of the few times my parents would let me stay up late to watch television (the other was anytime the Temptations were on tv). As a child, I couldn't tell the difference between the spry, inspired Sean Connery of 'Dr. No' and 'From Russia With Love' and the bored, chunky Connery in bloated (but enjoyable) epics like 'Thunderball' and 'You Only Live Twice'. All I knew was that Connery just definited manly cool and the gadgets were not to be believed.

In later years, I've come to appreciate George Lazenby's sole attempt at Bond in one of the series' best films, 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service', but I've never been able to reconcile Roger Moore as James Bond. Too stiff, too fragile, boring. Didn't believe him fighting or romancing and his films were parodies for the series that I took so seriously. Even when he tried to play it relatively straight ('For Your Eyes Only'), I still couldn't buy it. In fairness, He was saddled with the worst wardrobe of all of the men who have essayed Ian Fleming's classic character.

Moving onto Timothy Dalton, he proved to be an unpopular choice; a fine actor who lacked charisma. I was just happy to see someone replace Roger Moore, and take the series serious again. Unfortunately Dalton tended to play Bond so serious that he bordered on neurotic. That resulted in an inability to handle the lighter part of the character and the 'cool' which is so essential to 007 was lost.

Following Dalton came the man who many felt should have been Bond for many years, Pierce Brosnan. Originally set to replace Roger Moore following 'A View to a Kill', NBC exercised their option to renew Brosnan's 'Remington Steele', preventing the popular Irishman from fulfilling a career dream. Ultimately it worked out for the best. Had he got the role at the initial offering, Brosnan was still somewhat boyish, and following the light humor of 'Remington Steele', there's a good chance that the Bond series would have stayed in the paperweight vein of Moore's previous films. Fortunately, by the time Pierce signed for 'Goldeneye', he'd matured into a sophisticated, serious man with credible acting chops.

Throughout his run as Bond, Pierce Brosnan brought the expected effortless sophistication, charm and panache', but added unexpected gravitas during the more dramatic passages and an earnest conviction in his action sequences. By the time he got to his third film, 'The World Is Not Enough', Brosnan was clearly comfortable as Bond, he had the right look, attitude and confidence. While the film had its flaws, his performance was the best of his quartet of appearances.

By the time of 'Die Another Day', it was clear the filmmakers were fuzzy on what to do next with Bond. Unfortunately, the result was the worst of the Brosnan Bonds and one of the worst of the series. Aside from the exciting fencing sequence, the film has nothing going for it. Many people cite Halle Berry as the film's saving grace, but while she looked amazing, her performance was nearly as bad as Denise Richards' in the previous film. Add an invisible car, a jowly, bored Brosnan and the most heinous special effect (Bond 'water skiing against a green screen) in the entire collection of Bonds, and the future of the franchise was bleak.

When Eon surprisingly announced that Pierce Brosnan wouldn't return for a fifth film, a variety of names were bandied about: Ewan McGregor, Jude Law, Clive Owen and Colin Ferrell, to name a few. Each name that entered the rumor mill filled me with dread. Then I heard that Daniel Craig was considered and then snagged the role. I was shocked but very pleased. Ever since seeing him in 'Layer Cake', I felt that he was a star waiting to happen. I followed his career and saw most of the art house films that he appeared in, proving repeatedly that he had an incredible range.

Some Bond purists rebelled ("He's too short!" "He's f____g blond!"), but the public at large gave 'Casino Royale' a shot, resulting in the best reviewed and highest grossing James Bond film ever.

Eon, the company that produces the films has been staid and safe for so long that it was hard to imagine that they would go back to basics and reboot Bond, eschewing gadgets, Moneypenny and M, for a look at the circumstances that created the 007 that we know and love today. In addition to Daniel Craig's rugged, relentless but sensitive Bond, Eon recruited the director of 'Goldeneye' to kickstart the series again with a dramatic, action packed adventure with an acutely telling love story right in the middle.

From the title song and retro credits to the debut of Craig in Bond's uniform of classic black tie, for me, 'Casino Royale' was everything I ever wanted a James Bond film to be. Craig isn't to everyone's taste as 007, but as far as I'm concerned, he nailed it better by far than anyone except the originator, Sean Connery. It's been said that each generation gets the Bond that mirrors his era. If that's true, Craig is definitely the man for these tough, unnerving times. Capable but cockier than he ought to be, able to get the job done, but sometimes to proud to ask for help, Daniel Craig's James Bond reflects our lives and times right back to us.

From what I understand, 'Quantum of Solace' picks up right where 'Casino Royale' ends, becoming the first real sequel in the canon. It also clocks in at 106 minutes, becoming the shortest Bond movie ever. The director, Marc Forster says that it's 'a more compact, emotional intense, journey than 'Casino Royale'. From the trailer, it looks action packed and has plenty of Daniel Craig's now patented intensity. Everything I've seen about the film looks like it's going to better than 'Casino Royale' and after seeing how much better 'The Dark Knight' was than the excellent 'Batman Begins', I can't wait. However, it must be said that the theme song 'Another Way to Die' by Alicia Keys and Jack White is among the absolute worst James Bond theme songs EVER!!

I've been to one James Bond premiere, the dismal 'Die Another Day', where I was sitting in the midst of a gang of Eon executives, so I couldn't even groan out loud. Determined not to let that be my only Bond premiere, I'm working hard at getting tickets to the London premiere of 'Quantum of Solace' on October 29th. If I get there, I'll take pictures and post them on the blog. That will be the highlight of my year, only eclipsed by a personal experience that began on July 7th and continues to this day. Neesh, that's what I call real talk.

The Dark Knight: A Late Review

Perfect.

Blue-Eyed Soul: A Consideration

While riding Amtrak down to San Diego on the way to this year's ComicCon, I was listening to random tunes on my iPod. Up came a live version of Boz Scaggs’ wicked “Miss Sun”, originally on his ‘Hits’ album from 1980, but this particular version was from a live greatest hits collection released a few years ago.

Relaxing on the train, with a nice pair of headphones, I was struck by how timeless the groove, melody and Scaggs’ inimitable foghorn baritone voice continues to resonate. That got me on a train (no pun intended) of thought about my continuing fascination with pop oriented artists from the seventies and eighties who combined their love and appreciation of R&B music with their own unique Top 40 sensibilities.

It should be noted that while there are countless stories about how white artists have ripped off black music, in most cases (to be clear, most, not all) when I research pop artists who show a heavy R&B influence, those artists are quick to acknowledge the skill, ability and inspiration that the original artists provide. For example, it was quite nice to see The Spinners open for Hall & Oates at the Hollywood Bowl for two sold out shows last summer. All Philly boys, it was pleasing to see H&O give props to the source. Granted, everyone doesn’t do it, but more do than you’d probably think. Music is the great equalizer.

Back in the day, music wasn’t nearly as segregated on Black radio as it is today. In the seventies and eighties, it wasn’t uncommon to hear The Doobie Brothers, Hall & Oates, Kenny Loggins, Steely Dan, George Michael, Boz Scaggs and occasionally even David Bowie on R&B radio stations. The music delivered by those artists was connected by a specific alchemy that blended pop strains with R&B sensibilities, appealing to an urban audience as well as a larger pop concern.

In today’s market, when you hear a white artist on R&B (or hip-hop) radio, it’s generally an artist who is specifically striving for an R&B sound, pop be damned. Robin Thicke, Jon B. and until recently Justin Timberlake all come to mind. Amy Winehouse and Duffy are among the new breed of artists that seem to be working from a more traditionally based R&B foundation that is sprinkled with a pop awareness not generally found in today’s young multi-format artists.

Anyway, considering all of this inspired me to come up with yet another list, one that I reserve the right to change on further consideration. I’ve always appreciated the slinky, cool grooves that these guys were able to put down. Recognizing that one of my favorite singers, Daryl Hall, resents the term ‘Blue Eyed Soul’, calling it reverse racism, in the interest of clear identification, I present my first pass at my favorite Blue Eyed Soul Grooves, circa mid seventies to the present. Please feel free to forward any additional suggestions to this list.

1. Miss Sun: Boz Scaggs
2. Walk On By: Michael McDonald
3. No Hope In Here: Lewis Taylor
4. FM: Steely Dan
5. Heart to Heart: Kenny Loggins
6. I Can’t Go For That: H&O
7. Green Light: Jamie Lidell
8. Waiting for Your Love: Toto
9. I’ll Be Alright Without You: Journey
10. School Boy Crush: AWB

Hancock: Flawed but Fascinating

The summer of 2008 hasn't been bad as far as superhero/adventure flicks are concerned. 'Indiana Jones and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' came up short, but 'Iron Man' was outstanding and 'The Incredible Hulk' was a lot more fun than it deserved to be. And the summer's still got 'The Dark Knight' waiting in the wings. Also in this bumper crop is an interesting original film about an alcoholic, surly superhero. 'Hancock', starring Fourth of July mainstay Will Smith is a flim that doesn't really work, but it's got some elements that make it a somewhat subversive, challenging film.

Originally written several years ago as 'Tonight, He Comes', the script was very well regarded around Hollywood, but went unproduced for years. Director Michael Mann was attached to direct for several years, but it still lay in limbo until Mann protege' Peter Berg (The Rundown, Friday Night Lights, The Kingdom) signed on, with Mann serving as executive producer.

Berg has a habit of focusing on characters who are flawed creatures that have difficulty fitting into the mainstream. A former actor, Berg is known for edgy, jittery upclose camera work, that emphasizes the trials and tribulations that his cast is going through.

Will Smith has shown over the last few years that he can do almost anything and do it well. From his Oscar nominated performance in 'Ali' and 'Pursuit of Happyness' to the comedic charm of 'Hitch', Smith has become America's most popular actor while continuing to stretch at almost every opportunity. Given that, he's a perfect choice to play the sullen, sour 'Hancock'.

An amnesiac superhero with little self control and almost no regard for others, Hancock is a mess: he drinks, he smells, he destroys as much property as he protects. In the midst of saving the life of a PR agent (Justin Bateman), Hancock is confronted with the realization that he's lonely and somewhat ashamed of his behavior. The PR agent convinces him to turn over a new leaf and clean up his act.

Hancock turns himself in to the police and is incarcerated until the level of crime is such that the police need his help. The new Hancock, cleanshaven, polite and wearing a superhero costume, saves the day and is immediately embraced by the public. During this experiment, Hancock develops a foster family, consisting of the PR agent, his son and his beautiful wife, who immediately has both a conflict and attraction to the reformed superhero. To go much further would spoil the film's big surprise, but suffice it to say all isn't as it seems.

Theatrically released with a runtime of 92 minutes, 'Hancock' was originally over two hours long. The screenplay juggled humor with a decidely dark side that proved problematic for a film that was due to be Sony's big summer film. The final film has bits and pieces of the dark side, and Will Smith totally commits to playing 'Hancock' as a bastard, although one who has not totally lost touch with his humanity. The realization that Hancock is a lonely creature, seemingly the only one of his kind on Earth, is beautifully captured in Smith's performance and Berg's direction.

Charlize Theron plays the wife with a secret and perfectly compliments Jason Bateman's low key but humorous performance.
'Hancock' is the type of film that shouldn't have been a summer franchise flick. If left to its own devices, 'Hancock' would have been a quirky, possibly disturbing take on the popular superhero genre'. As such, it's a captivating failure that bears repeated viewing. One hopes that Sony will allow Peter Berg an opportunity to create his director's cut for the inevitable DVD.

Year of the Gentlemen

As a big fan of popular music, it's always a kick to watch an artist grow before your eyes. Today's R&B has been struggling for the past few years, generally seen as a poor cousin of (the not totally robust) hip-hop, relegated to thick robotic drumbeats, guest rappers, indistinguishable melodies and forgettable lyrics.

Of course there are those artists who break through, Alicia Keys, Jill Scott and John Legend are among those who have strived to breathe new life into the tried and true traditions of the best of R&B. One of the more interesting newcomers is Ne-yo, a young twenty-something writer/singer/producer who's made hits for a galaxy of artists and embarked on a solo career a couple of years ago. Blessed with a clear tenor, a great sense of melody and hooks for days, Ne-yo has shown the potential to be a memorable artist if he could get out of aping Michael Jackson like a religious experience. All of that changed with the 2008 BET Awards.

I hadn't been to an awards show in several years, generally finding them tedious with more concentration on spectacle than music and performance. I went to the BET Awards this year largely because Al Green was being presented with a lifetime achievement award and was due to be serenaded by Jill Scott, Anthony Hamilton and the unannounced return of Maxwell. Alas, Jill struggled, Anthony did 'Tired of Being Alone' proud and Maxwell missed an opportunity, with a lackluster interpretation of 'Simply Beautiful'. Al Green hopped onstage and performed loud, off-key versions of 'Let's Stay Together' and 'Love and Happiness'. It wasn't one of his best nights, but he had so much energy and enthusiasm, the crowd embraced him with a lot of love and appreciation.

Earlier in the evening, Ne-yo was introduced by host DL Hughley and he performed 'Closer', the new single from his upcoming album, 'Year of the Gentleman'. Smartly attired in a hat, three piece suit and gloves, Ne-yo was in great voice, the song was melodic with a clean, uptempo dance beat and a hard to forget hook.

Throughout the performance, Ne-yo upped his dance game, leaving (for the most part) MJ behind, and carving out a more sophisticated but still funky dance style that he confidently executed all over the stage. When the tune was over, Ne-yo got one of the evening's few standing ovations and staked a claim as most improved performer of the year.

The album is due August 5th, and focuses on more of a pop sound that marries the beat and rhythm of today's R&B , with a rare understanding of song construction. For my money, 'Year of the Gentleman' is the album that I'm expecting to send Ne-yo to the front ranks of today's popular artists. Even if he comes up a bit short, he's making big strides in the right direction.

Best Concerts Ever!!: The First Five

Recently my Mac guy and friend, Max Miller, was at the house fine tuning my new MacAir and my lemon like iMac. We usually enjoy kicking around cultural conversations, movies, music and comics. Max is opinionated, well read and very smart, which guarantees a lively and enjoyable chat. On this particular day, he asked me a question that provided the topic for this post:
"What artist alive or dead, would you want to see in concert and what era?". It didn't take me long to answer: Sam Cooke, circa 1964.

A couple of years ago, I read an outstanding biography on Cooke, called 'Dream Boogie', by Peter Guralnik. It's probably the best music bio I've ever read. Guralnik was so skilled that I felt like I was at the recording sessions or on the road with Cooke, Bobby Womack and Johnny 'Guitar' Watson. Sam Cooke has been a touchstone for both R&B and rock music for decades (ask Al Green or Rod Stewart) for a variety of reasons. One of the first artists to segue from the church to the secular world, Cooke was also a a gifted songwriter and one of the first artists to own his masters and create a label that was more than a vanity project.

I picked 1964 because that was the height of his popularity and he'd recently recorded the classic 'A Change Is Gonna Come'. Reportedly there is only one filmed performance of the song by Cooke, on the Tonight Show, but the footage looks to be lost.

Following the answer to that thought provoking question, I started thinking about my favorite concerts, and came up with a top 20 list. Here are the first five. Except where noted, don't hold me to the order.

The Jacksons Victory Tour, Cincinnati Ohio, 1981
I must admit, I saw this show reluctantly. The last time I'd seen the Jacksons, they'd gone Vegas, with nine year old Janet doing a creepy Mae West impersonation. Even though I enjoyed Michael's solo success with 'Off the Wall', as well as the Jacksons 'Triumph' album, I had no hopes of a good, let alone great concert. Boy, was I wrong.

Stacey Lattisaw opened the show, sung her hit 'Let Me Be Your Angel', and was outta there. Then it was time for the Jacksons. A screen rolled down and showed a video of 'Can You Feel It', that led to a real life Randy Jackson onstage in a suit of armor with a flaming torch screaming 'Can You Feel It'. The next thing I knew, metal risers were lifting the stage, and when the smoke cleared, the Jackson were standing stock still, letting the audience scream until they broke into 'Things I Do For You'.
For the next two hours, I witnessed one of the two greatest concerts I've ever seen.

In one fell swoop, the Jacksons Victory tour outdid former leaders of the R&B pack, Earth Wind and Fire in every area: song selection, pacing, special effects, all mind-blowing. But the biggest special effect was Michael Jackson. All of the signature moves and gear (white socks, one glitter glove), was brand new. It was all being debuted on this tour. Michael was in great shape and excellent voice, a whirling dervish across the stage for nearly two hours.

It was live performance at its best, and I'll always be grateful for the opportunity to witness it in person.

Prince Dirty Mind Tour, Royal Oak Michigan, 1980
Saw Prince open for Rick James at the Toledo Sports Arena in 1979. He was touring behind his second album 'Prince', and the hit was 'I Wanna Be Your Lover'. Prince and his band came out and smoked for 30 minutes, leaving the scorched stage for Rick James, who couldn't get the crowd back. That weekend I saw Prince totally dismiss Dick Clark on American Bandstand, and lip-sync 'Lover' on The Midnight Special, the night before. Running around in bikini briefs and leg-warmers, Prince was serving notice that he was a new kind of fool, either immensely talented, or incredibly insane. With the release of 'Dirty Mind', it was clear that he was the former, with a sprinkle of the latter.

In March of 1980, me and three college buddies drove up to a suburb of Michigan and watched one of the early performances of the 'Dirty Mind' tour. No opening act, Prince and band played for two hours. No props, no effects, just straight ahead music. Prince constructed a tight, specific set, but one that left room for improvisation and audience participation. He rarely spoke to the audience, but when he did, he was greeted with a happy roar, and he tried to hold back a pleased smile, but was unable to.

In addition to the purity of his falsetto, Prince also served notice that he was a wicked guitarist, fast and tasteful at the same time. Over the years, I've found a few unreleased DVDs from that tour, and each time I watch it, I enjoy it as much as the first time. It was spectacular to see a new artist who was clear about the type of show and image that he wanted to convey and to see him execute his plan perfectly. I flip-flop often between this and the Jacksons Triumph show, in terms of which was the best ever. I've never had a clear answer for myself, and doubt that I ever will. It's a good problem to have.

Jill Scott Who Is Jill Scott Tour, Los Angeles, California 2001
I find it to be a rare occurrence these days to see a debut artist perform live with a compelling, well thought out show, that is still organic and alive. Shows today are so tightly choreographed, based on songs that have no emotional content, like R. Kelly's 'You Remind Me of My Jeep'. It's even more rare to see an artist who has those skills but is still open and enthusiastic enough to be genuinely touched and inspired by an audience's reaction to his/her performance.

Jill Scott embodied both of these traits in her Los Angeles debut at the House of Blues on Sunset. Her first album had been out about a month and she was winning praise for the maturity and inventiveness of her lyrics, as well as her wide ranging voice and commitment to the groove.

Jill performed her entire debut album, 'Who is Jill Scott?', with style and sophistication, but the moment that stays etched in my mind is her reaction in the midst of the first song 'A Long Walk', when the entire audience started singing the chorus in one big, joyous voice. Her face and the entire countenance of the band lit up with a look of surprise and appreciation. She kicked off her shoes, the band punched up the tempo and the whole house was elevated. The show stayed in that rarefied air all night.

D'Angelo Voodoo Tour, Los Angeles California,2000
I saw D'Angelo's debut show at the House of Blues in support of his first album. While musically accomplished, it was a boring show. D'Angelo spent the majority of the show glued to the seat of his keyboard and kept a steady, loopy groove that while catchy, never really caught fire.

With the long awaited release of his second album, 'Voodoo', he returned to the House of Blues for a warm up show. This was no replay of the earlier performance. Dressed in long leather trench coat, D'Angelo never got behind the keyboard. Following the opening song 'Devil's Pie', he tore off the trench to reveal a ripped, musclebound physique and a newfound grace and fluidity as he danced across the stage for the next three hours.

Unlike the somewhat sombre, low-key performances of a few years past, D'Angelo was full of energy, smiling all night and engaging the crowd. Ringmaster for the band was The Roots ?uestlove, who was also the heartbeat of the band, keep the rhythm tight via a big set of drums. Also in the crackerjack band about a year before his solo career took off, was Anthony Hamilton, dressed like an Indian, complete with war paint and feathers.

D'Angelo performed every song on the 'Voodoo' album, most of 'Brown Sugar' and he threw in a few covers for good measure. He reveled in the skill of his band, leaving plenty of room for vamping and jamming. By the time the show was over, everyone was tired an for good reason. Never before have I seen an artist completely reinvent himself as a performer with such smashing success.

BeBe & CeCe Winans, Los Angeles, 1990 or 91
Back in the early nineties, there was a monthly industry gathering called 'R&B Live' that took place once a month at a few different clubs in Los Angeles. The brainchild of entrepreneurs Ramon Hervey and Bill Hammond, R&B Live featured a band comprised of top notch studio musicians, who would back up an unbelievable roster of artists. Al Jarreau, Earth Wind & Fire, Chaka Khan and Stevie Wonder are just a few who rocked the small house of no more than 300 people.

I had been aware of the music of Bebe and CeCe Winans for a few years by this time, and had gotten to know BeBe by a common interest in movies and fashion. I enjoyed their music, but never gave it much thought beyond it being a pleasant diversion. BeBe and I were due to meet for lunch at Roscoe's the day after they did a couple of songs at R&B Live, and I was wondering what I'd tell him after I seeing what I expected to be a competent but uninspiring show.

I don't remember what they opened with, but when they went into 'Lost Without You'- on record, a nice but relatively sacchrine ballad dedicated to the Lord, I saw one of the greatest single performances I'd ever been privileged to witness.

BeBe took the four minute tune and turned it into a 15 minute dramatic odyssey of the soul. Following the second verse, CeCe literally soared as she sung 'don't ever go away' over and over. With a soft but insistent backback and a soothing but urgent chorus of 'hallelujah', by their sisters Angie and Debbie, BeBe proceeded to orchestrate a multi-part scenario that sung of the depth of God's love as he 'holds you in the midnight hour' and 'rocks you through the stormy weather'. Part preacher, part witness, part ringmaster, BeBe Winans unveiled a command of the stage that most performer can only dream of. When the song finally concluded, there was testifying, tears and release.

The next day, I met BeBe for lunch and insisted on buying. He asked why. I told him I felt like such an idiot for having no idea just how potent a performer he was. He chuckled and said, 'I do what I can'.

A quick footnote: CeCe is no slouch, a beautiful, powerful voice with control and taste, she's also one of the nicest people I've ever met. Also, BeBe's older brother Marvin (former lead singer of The Winans) is a brilliant singer and mesmerizing performer. But the kick is, their dad, Pops Winan, is stronger than all of them. He can go from the smooth falsetto of Sam Cooke to the rough tenor of Otis Redding and make you cry at the same time.