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When: Monday, August 25, 2008 • Where: Dakota • Who: Pee Wee Ellis, musical director, band leader, saxophone; Fred Wesley, trombone; Cheikh Lo, voice, guitar, drums; Vieux Farka Toure, voice and guitar; Martha High, voice; Fred Ross, voice; Charles McNeil, alto sax; Reggie Ward, guitar. Not sure who the others were but these names are listed on the SBSP Web site as the US band: Eric Herman, bass; John Mader, drums; Peter Madsen, keys. Et al.
Hunh! You’ve got the music bug bad when you work flight reservations around concerts. SBSP was originally scheduled for Sunday the 24th so that’s when I flew back from CT. Then it was rescheduled for Monday the 25th. Thank God it didn’t move backwards a day or I would be in deep despair.
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There are at least 10 people on stage at all times and the music never stops. “Soul Pride,” “Hot Pants Blues.” Congas, drums, a B-3, guitars, saxes, trombone, bass. Martha High, last scene in these parts with Maceo Parker, sings “Try Me” and “The Big Payback” (“Payback! Revenge! I’m mad!”).
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Pee Wee says, “Martha used to ride with us on the bus with no AC—back in the day, back in the day.” The amazing Cheikh Lo sings “It’s a Man’s Man’s World” with screams and Senegalese lyrics. “Make My Funk the P. Funk” (“I want my funk uncut”). People in the audience get up and dance.
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Funk and grooves and African beats and American R&B, gospel and romance and revolution. Gorgeous greasy slip-slidey horns. Pee Wee’s proclamation: “We have a burning desire to please you.” The great “Still Black, Still Proud,” which doesn’t sound at all out of place in a room full of mostly white people because some things really have changed for the better, and suddenly I think maybe Obama can win this thing after all.
Encore: A laid back and easy “I Feel Good.” I knew that I would. That’s why I came home.
All photos but the last by John Whiting.
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