JANUARY 28, 2010 ISSUE
Soul Benefactor Hosts Otis Redding Tribute at Saloon Saturday
Guests Include Melissa Reaves, Seth Sullivan of Naked Gods
Photo by Sharon Caldwell
In its ongoing mission to pay respects to the soul, funk, blues and rock of the ‘60s and ‘70s, Boone’s Soul Benefactor will devote an entire night to soul music royalty—or, you might say, the king himself.
Soul Benefactor and special guests will present “I've Been Loving You Too Long: A Tribute to Otis Redding” this Saturday, January 30, at Boone Saloon. The music starts at 10:00 p.m., and the cover is $7.
Benefactor is Aaron Burleson on keys, guitar, bass and vocals; Chris Hice on bass, guitar and vocals; David Brewer on guitar, bass, drums and vocals; Steve Greene on drums and bass; Jordan Craig on trombone; and Chris Nordelo, the newest member, on saxophone. Joining the band on stage will be an outstanding slate of guest vocalists, to include Melissa Reaves, Laura England, Seth Sullivan of Naked Gods and Audan Parks.
“If you mention Otis Redding to most people, they immediately think, ‘oh yeah, Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay,’” said Burleson. “Many would be hard-pressed to quickly name a few more Otis songs.”
Many of Redding’s works became classics after being covered by other artists, such as The Black Crowes, Aretha Franklin, The Blues Brothers and Taj Mahal, Burleson said.
“We’re covering a good mix of ballads and house-rockers either written by or covered by Otis, trying to stay true to the original Otis arrangements, and taking just a bit of creative license as it suits the band and our guest vocalists,” he said.
Brewer said the desire to perform songs from Redding’s catalog has been with him for some time.
“There has been tremendous response by a lot of people about the idea of doing an Otis show,” Brewer said. “I think it’s somewhat brave of us to…faithfully try to render these incredible songs.”
Formed in about a week for a one-off party show in summer 2007, Soul Benefactor has since developed into a permanent fixture in the High Country music scene, performing at Canyons, Boone Saloon, Murphy’s and other late-night destinations.
“It was immediately apparent that there was some chemistry between the four of us,” Brewer said. The band initially started with more classic rock, but increasingly, its set lists gravitated in the direction of soul. About a year ago, the four-piece added a horn section, and the band continues to improve on its sound as its following of Benefactor booty-shakers increases in number.
Reaves, a Boone-based singer-songwriter and guitarist known for her powerful vocal chords and stage improvisation savvy, was a “natural” choice as a special guest, Brewer said.
“I can’t imagine doing this show without Melissa,” he added.
England is the former frontwoman of Madison, Wis., blues rock band The Mud Angels. Since moving to the Boone area, England has joined Soul Benefactor on a number of occasions.
“People always love it when she sings with us,” noted Brewer.
Sullivan, a huge soul music fan, immediately expressed interest in the Otis Redding tribute when asked, said Brewer, and his stage presence with Naked Gods speaks for itself.
“Plus,” he added, “I wanted someone there who was sweatier than me.”
Parks is a “fantastic singer” Brewer has known for many years and who has performed as a guest with Possum Jenkins and Six Foot Groove.
“I think the diversity of guest vocalists at this show will be what takes it over the top,” Burleson said. “Our hope is to rally renewed respect for a great singer and songwriter, have a lot of fun doing it and maybe inspire a deeper look into the music of Otis Redding.”
“I feel like a show like this is a testament that the local music scene is strong and full of talented people,” added Brewer.
Burleson said the band is definitely open to doing more artist and/or album tributes in the future.
“It's a great excuse to gather talented artists outside the band for a night of collaboration and big fun,” he said. For his part, Brewer said he would love to tackle the songbook of Van Morrison or Exile on Main St. by the Rolling Stones.
For more information on Soul Benefactor, click to www.myspace.com/soulbenefactor.
Get To Know Otis
Born September 9, 1941, and raised in Macon, Ga., Otis Redding was discovered while singing with Johnny Jenkins’ band, the Pinetoppers, and first recorded with the group in 1960.
After recording his song “These Arms of Mine” at the end of one of Jenkins’ recording sessions, Redding began a productive recording career with Stax Records in Memphis in 1963, collaborating with Stax house band Booker T. and the M.G.s. He became known for his hard-working nature, his talent for songwriting and arranging and his smooth voice with a slight grit.
In his four-year recording career with Stax/Volt Records, Redding regularly reached the Top 10 on R&B charts but did not live to see any of his songs reach higher than No. 21 on the pop charts. The posthumous release of “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” recorded four days before Redding’s death, hit No. 1 on the pop Top 40 chart in early 1968 and remained there for four weeks.
Redding and the four members of his touring band, the Bar-Kays, died when his twin-engine Beechcraft crashed into Wisconsin’s Lake Monona on December 10, 1967. Redding was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.
Community Interest
News & Notes
Events
Arts & Entertainment
