By Melissa Caruso
(photo: Ryan Barkan)
After years spent performing in Brooklyn nightclubs as part of a James Brown tribute band, Charles Bradley garnered attention from the 60’s/70’s soul preserving label, Daptone Records. Dubbed “the Screaming Eagle of Soul” and decked out in crisp sequined threads, Bradley seduced through funky, rhythmic vocals and copious crowd interaction Saturday night at the Bowery Ballroom.
Bradley was backed by His Extraordinaires: an ensemble of brass and guitar players about a third of Bradley’s age. They looked and sounded damn cool, grooving in sync to haunting organ riffs and heavy instrumental medleys, as evident on the howling “Heartaches and Pain” and the provocative “No Time for Dreaming.” With its funky swag, fans immediately began to groove.
Glancing out at a sea of fans, Bradley whispered into the mic, “I love you, New York” behind smiling eyes before dipping into the mellow tune, “Lovin’ You, Baby.” The song could stand simply on its pillow-talking instrumentals, but as the tempo heightened, Bradley grabbed the mic and dropped down to his knees, exposing his heart-on-sleeve essence. Even the photographers in front of the stage were left grinning.
Red lights melted the stage for the fan favorite “The World (Is Going Up in Flames),” a funky piano-driven R&B number about overcoming adversity, so perfect with its pristine back-up vocals coating Bradley’s raw howls. For the music video (see below), Bradley chose gritty scenes of Brooklyn to encapsulate that diamond-in-the rough vibe that he so masterfully demonstrates both musically and visually.
When it comes to Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires, the roots of soul, funk and R&B are evocatively resurrected.