Music journalists have used a number of clichés to describe the smoothness of his voice: silk, butter, chocolate. Really though, the sound that comes out of his vocal chords is all of the above, like butter, melted together with chocolate and then wrapped in a layer of fine silk.
We’re talking about D’Angelo, the supremely talented artist whose output is consistently excellent, but also famously sparse. He is making a triumphant return to stages through the U.S. and Europe on his The Second Coming Tour, and made a stop last night before a sold-out crowd at The Fillmore Silver Spring. And boy, was it ever worth the wait.
After Australian singer Meg Mac and her talented band wrapped up a strong set of Adele-meets-Lorde-meets-Jessie Ware brand of blue-eyed soul, D’Angelo’s new 12-piece ensemble, dubbed The Vanguard, laid down a groove as he strutted onto the stage. Wearing an angled white top hat and mesh-like jacket, the first of several outfits worn throughout the show, the 41-year-old still has a style and physique that exudes a masculine cool.
The neo-soul movement was in full bore when D’Angelo released his 1995 debut, Brown Sugar. Along with artists like Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, The Brand New Heavies, and Me’Shell NdegéOcello, D’Angelo helped build the framework for a sub-genre that bridged classic R&B and funk with hip-hop. The soul of the former blended with the grooves of the latter while relying on lyrical qualities that embraced the entire spectrum of the African American experience, from the political to the sexual. D’Angelo’s second release, 2000’s Voodoo, was his most successful, thanks in large part to the provocative video to “Untitled (How Does It Feel).” A fourteen-year break followed while he dealt with personal demons and refined his craft, but 2014 saw D’Angelo come back better than ever with the masterful Black Messiah.
The band started with “Ain’t That Easy,” Black Messiah‘s opening track. The songs unusual harmonies showcased the abilities of backup singers Kendra Foster, “Red” Middleton and Jermain Holmes. Foster, who is part of the P-Funk family, also co-wrote several tracks on the new album. D’Angelo’s own voice is still a formidable instrument, going from piercing falsetto to James Brown-style grunts on a dime. James Brown’s influence was evident throughout the show, especially on the extended jams that were added to songs like main set closer, “Sugah Daddy,” the lead single off the recent recording, as well as “Left & Right” and “Chicken & Grease,” which got heads bobbing throughout the audience during the first encore.
As with most artists out of the neo-soul movement, a premium is placed on musicianship. The Vanguard’s versatility was evident on songs like “Spanish Joint,” which opened with an Iberian-inspired acoustic guitar solo from Isaiah Sharkey and continued over a thick Latin groove. Jesse Johnson, guitarist for The Time, added a rock sound to match the political overtones of “The Charade.” D’Angelo’s music isn’t innovative in and of itself, but the blend of influences creates a joyous experience. For example, on “Brown Sugar,” D’Angelo’s first hit, a dash of hip-hop grit was added to what is otherwise a straight-up R&B tune.
That hip-hop attitude came mainly from the rhythm section, whose anchor was Chris “Daddy” Dave, a truly innovative drummer. At the outset of the tour, legendary bassist Pino Palladino was announced as Dave’s partner in holding it down, but Palladino’s son, Rocco, has taken his place, and his playing and mannerisms closely mirror those of the father.
D’Angelo closed last night’s performance with a sultry delivery of his signature number, “Untitled,” which had pretty much every lady in the audience with a boyfriend ready to break up on the spot. Each of his gifted band members took a short solo and left the stage, one at a time.
D’Angelo was finally left sitting alone at an electric piano, crooning the question from the song’s title. The answer was clear: it felt damn fine, sir, so please come back, and often.
