Guest blog review: Baltimore Symphony's Motown pops concert with Spectrum
The Motor City rolled into Baltimore last night. The musical group Spectrum -- a four-member quartet featuring Darryl Grant, Pierre Jovan, David Prescott and Cushney Roberts -- sang the greatest hits of Motown for the audience at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. (The group also played a show at the Music Center at Strathmore on Thursday. And they'll play the Meyerhoff again at 8 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday.)
But the sweetest part of the show came not from hearing the amazing songs of R&B's heyday (that was a sweet given) but rather from these professional singers enjoying the support and backup of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra with conductor Michael Berkowitz. The songs were made fuller and even more enjoyable with the full orchestra getting their groove on, relatively speaking, with the songs. And by the looks of it, the many fans who danced in their seats and sang along with every word were thrilled at the performances.
Spectrum worked the audience well, with
While I particularly enjoyed "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" (a 1969 hit for Diana Ross and the Supremes with the Temptations), I wouldn't have minded even more girl-group songs... or even some Jackson 5 tunes. Spectrum clearly could have handled it. And speaking of handling the high bits, singer David Prescott wowed me with his spot-on falsetto on the Stylistics' "You Make Me Feel Brand New." With so many fantastic songs to choose from, and with the BSO as its backing "band," Spectrum couldn't have gone wrong with any of their choices. And they didn't.
PHOTO COURTESY OF BSO
Comments
James Brown and the Drifters were not part of Motown. Both performed before Motown's creation. The Drifters were an early success of Ahmet Ertegen at Atlantic Records in New York. James Brown was from South Carolina recording for Federal Records then King, no association with Motown. While the Spinners were formed in Detroit and recorded with Motown early on with one big hit, "It's a Shame," they are far more known as part of the Philadelphia sound on Atlantic records. "Rubberband Man" hit after they left Motown.
We need to point out this truth and packaging to the BSO but applaud them for saluting such great music.
Posted by: Good But Not Motown | April 24, 2010 8:59 PM
Spectrum is a is a vocal group designed to offer a tribute to the sounds of early Motown up to present day Motown groups such as Boys To Men as well as
a tribute to R&B music. Check out their web-site Spectrumsings.com.
Posted by: Darryl Grant | July 10, 2010 9:48 AM