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As a rare treat for fans in the local area, legendary pop/R&B/Jazz/soul songstress Roberta Flack made a stop in Clearwater last Thursday night to bring her unique blend of musical craftsmanship to a sold out house of captive admirers.
For her first Clearwater appearance in nearly 20 years, Ms. Flack — accompanied by a fine backing band that included two dynamic backup singers — chose the cozy and intimate Capitol Theatre to remind her longtime fans of what exactly it is that makes her so special during a delightful 90-minute performance.
Flack, now 76 (or 78, online biographical sources vary), sounds absolutely fantastic. Her distinctive gentle quivering vocal quality has lost very little over the span of her long career. Dressed in elegant, formal black gown, Flack took the stage promptly at 7:30, exactly as claimed, and wasted no time getting the mostly senior-aged crowd warmed up.
Perched at a majestic black grand piano stage left, Flack seemed downright jovial and elated as she reminisced and added colorful banter between songs ranging from musical memories about her upbringing to recollections of longtime friend and contemporary Gene McDaniels (who wrote one of her biggest 1970's hits, "Feel Like Makin' Love").
Taking more of a smooth jazz direction for the bulk of the fine program, Flack also ventured into pop and straightforward jazz that more than showed her versatility and range.
Whether revisiting some of her signature songs or dabbling in cover versions, Flack delivered the goods throughout the night although she gave due time to both her male and female backing vocalists to take center stage on more than one occasion.
The gentleman served as the perfect duet partner for a few of the hits Flack scored as a co-singer: "Tonight I Celebrate My Love" (originally recorded with pop vocalist Peabo Bryson) and "Back Together Again" (one of the many duets recorded with the late Donny Hathaway), while the young lady who backed Ms. Flack for the evening performed a spirited, emotive reading of Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry" that brought the audience to its feet for a hearty standing ovation.
Delving into her recent album of Beatles covers, Flack wowed the crowd with gorgeous, stirring versions of "Hey Jude" and "Here Comes the Sun" that, again, prompted heartfelt ovations and responses.
Winding up with a lovely, hushed version of her breakthrough hit, "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," Flack held her completely engaged fans firmly in the palm of her hand. While most of the performance was greeted with deafening silence of an audience held completely rapt, never was it more noticeable than during this, one of her many touching ballads.
A seasoned professional who still knows how to gorgeously wrap her delicate and gentle vocals around a song, Roberta Flack proved to a roomful of her fans on this night that she's still as engaging and entertaining as ever.
Clik here to view.
As a rare treat for fans in the local area, legendary pop/R&B/Jazz/soul songstress Roberta Flack made a stop in Clearwater last Thursday night to bring her unique blend of musical craftsmanship to a sold out house of captive admirers.For her first Clearwater appearance in nearly 20 years, Ms. Flack — accompanied by a fine backing band that included two dynamic backup singers — chose the cozy and intimate Capitol Theatre to remind her longtime fans of what exactly it is that makes her so special during a delightful 90-minute performance.
Flack, now 76 (or 78, online biographical sources vary), sounds absolutely fantastic. Her distinctive gentle quivering vocal quality has lost very little over the span of her long career. Dressed in elegant, formal black gown, Flack took the stage promptly at 7:30, exactly as claimed, and wasted no time getting the mostly senior-aged crowd warmed up.
Perched at a majestic black grand piano stage left, Flack seemed downright jovial and elated as she reminisced and added colorful banter between songs ranging from musical memories about her upbringing to recollections of longtime friend and contemporary Gene McDaniels (who wrote one of her biggest 1970's hits, "Feel Like Makin' Love").
Taking more of a smooth jazz direction for the bulk of the fine program, Flack also ventured into pop and straightforward jazz that more than showed her versatility and range.
Whether revisiting some of her signature songs or dabbling in cover versions, Flack delivered the goods throughout the night although she gave due time to both her male and female backing vocalists to take center stage on more than one occasion.
The gentleman served as the perfect duet partner for a few of the hits Flack scored as a co-singer: "Tonight I Celebrate My Love" (originally recorded with pop vocalist Peabo Bryson) and "Back Together Again" (one of the many duets recorded with the late Donny Hathaway), while the young lady who backed Ms. Flack for the evening performed a spirited, emotive reading of Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry" that brought the audience to its feet for a hearty standing ovation.
Delving into her recent album of Beatles covers, Flack wowed the crowd with gorgeous, stirring versions of "Hey Jude" and "Here Comes the Sun" that, again, prompted heartfelt ovations and responses.
Winding up with a lovely, hushed version of her breakthrough hit, "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," Flack held her completely engaged fans firmly in the palm of her hand. While most of the performance was greeted with deafening silence of an audience held completely rapt, never was it more noticeable than during this, one of her many touching ballads.
A seasoned professional who still knows how to gorgeously wrap her delicate and gentle vocals around a song, Roberta Flack proved to a roomful of her fans on this night that she's still as engaging and entertaining as ever.
