Funk Brothers show really sizzles from the get-go

Monday, December 8, 2003

By BILL WHITE
SPECIAL TO THE POST-INTELLIGENCER

Some say that it's the singer, not the song. The reverse was the case at the Moore Theatre Friday night, when the greatest hit machine in the history of recorded music led a near-capacity crowd through one of America's most popular songbooks.

MUSIC REVIEW

THE FUNK BROTHERS

WHEN: Friday night

WHERE: Moore Theatre

Alan Slutsky, author of "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" and the driving force behind the movie of the same name, has paired the six surviving Funk Brothers with some hot players from Philadelphia, a city that was once Detroit's biggest rival, for this touring version of Motown's legendary studio band.

The two-hour concert got off to a hot start with vocalist John Ingram kicking out a joyously soulful rendition of "Uptight." The crowd joined in right from the start and didn't stop singing until the band stopped playing. Carla Benson, a former backup singer for Philadelphia International, called for two Supremes from the audience to flesh out the choreography on "Stop in the Name of Love." They got the moves right, but sang their backup vocals off mike. Later, Ingram brought six men to the stage who each contributed his own interpretation of "My Girl" to the mix.

Periodically, one of the original Funk Brothers interrupted the flow of hits to share an anecdote. Pianist "Ivory" Joe Hunter told a story about talking Marvin Gaye into playing drums with him behind Jimmy Reed, who later passed out on stage from too much white lightning. The other original members were Uriel Jones (drums), Eddie Willis and Joe Messina (guitars), Jack Ashford (vibes) and Bob Babbitt, who replaced James Jamerson on bass in 1967.

Special guests Anne and Nancy Wilson were a reminder of how important the influence of rhythm and blues was upon Seattle musicians growing up in the '50s and '60s. Christened The Funk Sisters, they performed stellar versions of "You Really Got a Hold on Me" and "You Can't Hurry Love."

They rejoined the group for "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," a tribute to the Funk Brothers who are no longer with us, among them Johnny Griffith and Pistol Allen, both of whom were living when "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" was filmed.

Despite the passage of time and the loss of so many old friends and partners, The Funk Brothers still had that unmistakable sound that launched a thousand hits.

Bill White is a Seattle music writer. He can be reached at BWhi61@earthlink.net.

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