Bruce Henry and Freedom Train Ensemble

When: 4/18/08
Where: Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church
Who: Bruce Henry and special guest Jevetta Steele (voice), the Freedom Voices (singers including Leon Dillon, Katie Gearty, and Sandra Henry), the Freedom Dancers, and the Freedom Train Band: Daryl Boudreaux (percussion), Marcus Dillon (percussion), Jason Craft (keyboard), Wendell Craft (drums), Ian Young (bass)

Bruce Henry is one of the good guys. He's been working for months on tonight's show, a benefit performance for The Dignity Center, an outreach ministry of Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church that offers help, support and hope for homeless, poor and disenfranchised people. It's a festive and joyous occasion, deeply felt and genuine.



The theme: "Sheroes and Heroes: The Women and Men Who Risked All to Make This a Better World." Songs include "The Ballad of Harry Moore" by Bernice Reagon (founder of Sweet Honey in the Rock), about the first NAACP official killed in the civil rights movement; "Jump Dat Broom," Henry's song about his great-great grandfather; "Grandma's Hands" by Bill Withers; and Stevie Wonder's "A Time to Love."

The splendid Jevetta Steele sings "Great Is Thy Faithfulness," "This Little Light," and "Go to the Rock," prefacing some serious gospel by saying that even though this is a Methodist church, we're all about to become Pentacostals and Baptists.



The live performance doesn't follow the printed program to the letter, the multimedia presentation (slides on a screen) has glitches, we can't see the dancers from where we're sitting, and the acoustics—the stone vault of the church sanctuary—are big and bouncy, but who cares. Bruce is Bruce and Jevetta is Jevetta and you can't ask for more. Because the printed program is mainly a formality, Henry adds his own "Africa Cries" and "Freedom Party," both perfect for the occasion. After the concert, there's a dessert reception in the lobby, with sheet cakes and cookies and brownies.

For more information about the Dignity Center, contact Ann Carlson, Director, 612-435-1336 or carlsonaj99@msn.com.

J.D. Steele

When: 3/23/08
Where: Dakota
Who: J.D. Steele (vocals), Peter Schimke (piano), Serge Akou (bass), Daryl Boudreaux (percussion), Larry Robinson (drums), ???? (trumpet); Billy, Fred, Jearlyn, and Jevetta Steele (vocals)

The band warms up and suddenly J.D. rockets through the curtain and launches into Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" before a crowd of family, friends, and admirers. He's dancing and smiling and we're right there with him. No need to warm us up. From the moment he opens his mouth until his final goodbye, this will be a high-energy show.

I've seen the Steeles several times but never J.D. on his own. I wasn't expecting to be handed so much joy. J.D. is effervescent. This night is a CD release for an album he's been recording for the past decade ("Whenever I started working on the record I'd end up doing something for my family instead"), a celebration of 25 years in the music business ("I left the corporate world in 1983"), an introduction to the new love of his life (Shangilia, a choir of former street children from Kenya), and a family reunion ("My brothers and sisters will join me later and I hope you don't mind?"). The band is splendid. If you weren't in the audience, you can be sorry now.

We hear several songs from the CD, all originals: "I Wonder," "Don't Give Up" ("I wrote this song when a friend of mine was having some problems; I just wanted him to be encouraged"). We see a short film about J.D. and Shangilia, learn to say "Every burden shall be rolled away" in Swahili, and hear J.D. sing "Save the Children," another song I associate with Marvin Gaye though it's been recorded by a lot of people.



Jevetta, Billy, Jearlyn, and Fred join their brother for the final songs: J.D.'s "Starting All Over," "All Because of You," a rousing gospel tune ("I never shall forget what he's done for me..."), and "Better Love." Now the energy is incandescent. Have we just heard more than two hours of soulful, beautiful music? The time has telescoped. The evening could not have been better.