GLADYS
KNIGHT
at
The River Rock Casino
March
31
Growing
up, I was introduced to Motown quite early, which is perhaps the reason it was
like second nature for me. Back in the late ’60s, Knight and her family band
The Pips made a massive impression on the Motown scene, releasing some of the
label's biggest singles. When Gladys embarked on a solo career in the late ’80s,
she went on to cover blues, jazz, and gospel music. Her show at the River Rock
was a fantastic retrospective covering all her eras, without coming off like a
desperate cash-grab focusing on a career that once was.
In
fact, Knight's star is still bright and intact. Her current run on TV mainstay Dancing
With The Stars is
not a washed-up stop-in, but an appearance by a rare legend who has continued
to tour into her late 60s, while still recording music both old and new.
Near
the end of the show, after churning out a handful of classic throwback tunes, Knight
performed her new single “I (Who Have Nothing)”. The cover of the Ben E. King
standard showed a new edgier side of Knight, with dark harmonies instilling
urgency into the romantic track. Such seems to be the greatness of Knight as a
vocalist and performer.
A
mid-section of the set gave Knight some breathing time when her brother and
former member of The Pips, Merald “Bubba” Knight, came onstage to duet with
Gladys on The Beatles’ “Yesterday”. It was a sentimental and touching throwback
that made me wonder if my sister and I will be that cool when we’re in our 60s.
Gladys’
voice is unmistakable, but lends itself well to many genres. Knight's set
jumped with ease from her early hits with The Pips such as “I Heard It Through
The Grapevine” to down-tempo jazz numbers like “Someone To Watch Over Me”. She
even dabbled in modern country, with her own spin on JoAnn Womack’s “I Hope You
Dance”, which was met with one of at least a half-dozen standing ovations of
the evening.
Knight
met her crowd with humour and flair, explaining her life and its stories
through the songs, introducing each number with impressive storytelling chops.
Knight seemed almost overwhelmed when the entire house was brought to their
feet at the beginning of closing number, “Midnight Train To Georgia”, which seemed
to be not only nostalgic for myself, but most of the people in the room.
//JJ Brewis, art director
//JJ Brewis, art director
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