Gem Myers
Musically, last Saturday's Motown Plus 1979 concert at the gardens of the Jamaica Pegasus hotel, New Kingston, took the fair-size audience back 30 years. Mentally, it reconnected the performers to little children who love to dress up, stand in front of the mirror and imitate their favourite stars.
Not that the singers on the Jamaica Association of Vintage Artistes and Affiliates (JAVAA) event were using mopsticks, dressed in oversize garb and warbling off-key, as they maintained a consistently high standard. And some, including Chris McDonald (Stevie Wonder), Charmaine Limonius (Dusty Springfield) and Gem Myers (Aretha Franklin) and Andrew Cassanova (Al Green) were obviously more comfortable with the play that the night's format of song and dance allowed.
Additional performer
There was an additional performer or two, notably 'Otis Redding', from The Barkays (Fab Five) who played for all the performers, Grub Cooper sending the ladies into howls of delight with I've Been Loving You Too Long.
The audience, though substantial, was not as large as it has been for previous Motown revisits by JAVAA, this may be due in part to rain that fell earlier in the evening. And while they certainly enjoyed the approximately four-hour event (including intermission), they saved most of the cheering for those who really got into the acting as well as for Ken Bob (Smokey Robinson) and Lynford McIntosh (Marvin Gaye).
So in the early going when Don Topping (as himself, dropping jive talk about music causing "a blister on your transistor") asked the audience if they enjoyed Jerry Butler's (Carlton Scarlett) stint, ending with Moon River, they said that they had. The Barkays delivered The Four Season's Oh What a Night (Cooper pointed out that it was done by a white group) to very good effect and a smashingly-dressed Mary Wells (Mary Isaacs) sang of fealty to My Guy.
Sam Cooke (Hopeton James) opened well with Change Gonna Come, but a few misplaced 'hs' detracted from the songs and he did not get much into the role play (although he did get to return to stage to do Chain Gang). Della Reese (Elaine Peart) did not get much into character either, but when her deep, powerful voice had rolled out the final notes of Not One Minute More to close her three-song set the audience hollered for her.
Guitar solo
Lynford McIntosh - File
Lionel Richie (Wayne Armond) brought up intermission, opening with Three Times a Lady from offstage, a strong guitar solo adding a lot to the song. Working the impersonation to the hilt, Armond asked "can I speak to you Jamaica?" and proceeded to do just that in introducing Still, before being "easy like Sunday morning" to bring up intermission.
After the half-hour break, Marvin Gaye (Lynford McIntosh), opening with the Ecology Song and inviting back Mary Wells for I Heard It Through The Grapevine was good, though not outstanding. But after, he dropped to his knees to wring the emotion out of Let's Get It On and left the audience clamouring for more.
"Marvin's got a plane to catch," Topping said, to laughter.
From the head rocking to the smile, in speech and playing the keyboard, Chris McDonald was excellent as Stevie Wonder, Superstition among the tracks he delivered. Smokey Robinson was preceded onstage by a dapperly dressed and slick moving dancer, Second That Emotion, Tracks of My Tears and Cruisin' hitting very hard in his falsetto.
Dusty Springfield's blonde tresses glowed and fun personality sparkled from she opened with Wishin' and Hopin'. "I hope you like the oldies," she cooed to the audience, staying totally in character. When she sang her way offstage with Believe Me, the applause spoke volumes. Angel as Diana Ross led 'The Supremes' through Baby Love and Stop! In The Name of Love, closing a competent run.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Aretha Franklin (Myers) was all sass and swish of the hips in advising "you better think" and demanding her R-E-S-P-E-C-T, her Afro bouncing. The audience enjoyed the way she stayed in character and strong singing, while Danny, who she stooped at front of stage to crook a finger and call, enjoyed her dancing especially. "I can tell he is a handful. You need some help girl," Aretha advised Danny's lady in the audience.
And Danny played along to faux slaps as Aretha sang and acted out "you're no good, you're a heartbreaker", then happily got into the groove as she backed up on him.
Al Green (Cassanova) brought Love and Happiness, his voice in good nick as he went through Let's Stay Together, complete with controlled, effective stage movement. "I have been to Bembe, I have been to Hot Fridays and I had a whale of a time," he said, to hoots of laugher, before closing a good night of impersonations and good music.