Reviews

The historic Loring Theater was the stage for an extraordinary evening recently, as the American experience was celebrated in film and song. The long anticipated project by Larry Long and company is finally out, and was well worth the wait. The cd entitled "Don't Stand Still" produced by Long and Ricky Peterson (yeah THAT Ricky Peterson) features a host of musical surprises, both in style and persona. The songs that comprise the cd are well prepared salad of folk, Cajun, reggae, R&B, swing, country rock, gospel, and some styles untold.

The human musical vessels that propelled Long's musical flight were none other than J.D. Steele, Tonia Hughes, and Robert Robinson. The three human vocal instruments drove, harmonized, mesmerized, and amazed those in the audience who weren't familiar with their range and depth-and simply re-amazed those who are.

J.D. Steele, a veteran, consummate performer, and leader of the Steele family, was joyous energy personified, as he exalted the crowd to join in the rhythmic expression of love during the performance. Steele's vocal flexibility toyed beautiful falsetto when he played with the audience, and baritoned delight when supporting the group's harmonies. Always a pleasurable stage persona, whether solo or ensemble, Steele is a lightning rod for positive energy and was especially charged on this occasion.

Tonia Hughes' performance let a badly kept secret out of a big box-da girl is bad-has been bad for awhile-and getting better with every larger stage. Her well seasoned voice, sweet and controlled in most of Long's songs, occasionally rolled up on a few numbers with a deceptively controlled power that ( please excuse the mixed metaphor) stood the audience on the edge of their collective seats. Hughes' range and ease made her perfect musical foil for the trio of male singers who shared her stage.

Robert Robison, Pavarotti...and host of angels, all wrapped up into one vocal instrument. A lot has been said about Robison, his genius with choirs, his multi-layered musical ability, etc-but one can never truly understand the depth of this angel of song unless you see him with your own ears.
Robison is always a powerful presence on any stage, and is always an experience; but to see this musical giant having fun was quite the treat. Robison's voice can enunciate notes at the softest whisper that can be heard clearly across a stage, but with almost effortless control, that whisper can raise decibels above mere mortals, and hang on a single note for longer than human capacity should allow. Several of Long's songs allowed Robison's powerhouse voice to go where he wanted to go! The Loring Theater was barely big enough...it was at its capacity for great music.

Then there's Larry Long, musician, songwriter, teller of stories, and doer of the good effort, who inspired the collaboration of musical journey, "Don't Stand Still". With every song on the CD, an "as told to" story-it was hard to pinpoint the writer's most personally meaningful song. However,I believe that it may be the one inspired at 2 am on April 4th, 2006,- the moment Larry's mom (Roberta) passed away that planted a seed of song...a special song! Larry spent the night reciting stories of special people, in and of special circumstance...but one song had an emotional significance to the writer like no other....to which Long shared the story and the resultant song. It was a moving tribute to a mother, mentor, and friend!

The band was a delicious helping of all around "damn what a band"; keyboards were graced by Sam Reeves, drums were held down by Michael Bland, Corey Wong jammed on electric guitar, on bass guitar, and standup bass, Billy Peterson, percussions Marc Anderson

Long spoke to and about a world of many different realities; and acted as narrator-storyteller, as he educated, entertained and guided us through the lives of people living examples of the real American experience. Not artificially pretty, made for reality t.v. type people-but living stories of truth and victory. Each person wrinkled and bent with time and reality, but alive and smiling... triumphant with important examples of lives worth living, and stories worth telling. Long searched, found and weaved these incredible lives together with music as individual as the people they represent.

A tiny grandmother that had survived Japanese internment camp, a war hero, an (old school) Native Man/Brother, Tibetans, a Black, some White...not to forget another world/nature citizen that Long championed.... the Monarch butterfly! The music that delivers these stories is superior, as are the stories themselves, but it is Long's ability to put them all together and filter them to a coherent blend that makes these individual stories work as a tapestry of the American experience....but don't let me persuade you...buy Larry Long's "Don't Stand Still" cd and judge for yourself.
RE

The proceeds of the evenings show went to benefit Community Celebration of Place-a non-profit organization whose program-Elder Wisdom, Children's Song, brings elders and youth together in schools and communities utilizing the bond of the creative process of songwriting.

For more information go to: www.community/celebration.org