‘Men of Soul’
Saturday, August 20 2011
T&T Newsday.
On Republic Day (September 24), members of the public are being invited to experience what organisers promise will be a different kind of concert – one that seeks to resurrect feelings of love among citizens of TT.
Men of Soul – a love concert will be headlined by American crooners Freddie Jackson, Peabo Bryson and Jeffery Osborne – each bringing with them a catalogue of music that spans decades.
This “world class concert” will take place at the Queen’s Park Savannah.
Freddie Jackson was born in Harlem, New York and like so many soul stars, he was trained as a gospel singer from an early age, singing at the White Rock Baptist Church. There he met Paul Laurence, who would later become his producer and songwriting partner. After completing school, Jackson joined Laurence’s group LJE (Laurence-Jones Ensemble) and played the New York club scene.
During the early ’80s, Jackson moved to the West Coast and sang lead with the R&B band Mystic Merlin, but soon returned to New York to work with Laurence at the Hush Productions company. He sang on demo recordings of Laurence’s compositions, and also served as a back-up singer for Melba Moore after she caught his nightclub act.
In 1985, Jackson landed a record deal with Capitol and issued his debut album, Rock Me Tonight. The Laurence-penned title track stormed the R&B charts, spending a whopping six weeks at number one, and made Jackson an instant sensation on urban contemporary radio.
“You Are My Lady” gave him a second straight R&B chart-topper, and also proved to be his highest-charting single on the pop side, peaking at number 13. With “He’ll Never Love You (Like I Do)” and “Love Is Just a Touch Away” also hitting the R&B Top Ten, Rock Me Tonight topped the R&B album charts and went platinum.
Jackson wasted no time issuing a follow-up set; Just Like the First Time appeared in 1986 on the heels of a number one R&B duet with Melba Moore, “A Little Bit More” (from her album A Lot of Love). Another platinum seller, Just Like the First Time continued Jackson’s incredible dominance of the R&B singles charts; “Tasty Love,” “Have You Ever Loved Somebody,” and “Jam Tonight” all hit number one, while “I Don’t Want to Lose Your Love” went to number two.
The pace of his success slowed in the late ’80s and ’90s, but he continues to release records from time to time in a somewhat low-key fashion.
Vocalist Peabo Bryson was among the premier silky-voiced soul artists who emerged as the softer, more sophisticated urban contemporary sound became dominant in the ’70s and ’80s. Bryson, who was born in Greenville, SC, sang with Al Freeman and the Upsetters in 1965, and was in the group Moses Dillard and the Tex-Town Display from 1968 to 1973. He was a producer and composer for Atlanta’s Bang Records in the early ’70s, and sang in Michael Zager’s Moon Band.
His self-titled, debut LP and several singles were recorded for Bang’s subsidiary company Bullet, among them “Do It With Feeling,” “Underground Music,” “It’s Just a Matter of Time,” “Just Another Day,” and “I Can Make It Better.” Bryson moved to Capitol in 1978, where his first album, Reaching for the Sky, went gold, and the title track was a number six R&B hit. Bryson has had a prolific career as both lead act and duet participant with partners such as Natalie Cole, Roberta Flack, Melissa Manchester, and Regina Belle.
Jeffrey Osborne began his professional singing career in 1969 with a popular funk and soul group called Love Men Ltd. The band moved to Los Angeles in 1970 and changed its name to LTD. Osborne was originally brought on as the drummer and eventually became the lead vocalist. After more than ten years with the band, he decided to pursue a solo career, which produced such Top 40 hits as “Don’t You Get So Mad,” “Stay With Me Tonight,” and “Love Power,” which he performed with Dionne Warwick.
Osborne’s solo career has brought him five gold and platinum albums, including Stay With Me Tonight and Only Human. He also recorded an album of duets with popular singer James Ingram, and scored an international hit with “On the Wings of Love” in 1982. Osborne’s touring and recording continue to keep him busy much of the time, but he also devotes some of his time to charity work.
