The dancers were sexy but Andre Williams was not in the mood. (Photo by Bill Brownlee)
Andre Williams looked exhausted.
The soul survivor sat hunched in a chair, wringing his hands and staring at the floor. It seemed as if he was trying to muster enough energy for his sporadic assaults on the microphone. When it was time to deliver his lines, Williams would lurch to the front of small stage, give a brief animated performance, then collapse back into his chair.
Williams, "The Black Godfather," gave a heroic effort in his 45-minute set late Saturday night at Record Bar. Even so, Williams' rendition of "Agile, Mobile and Hostile" was frail, lethargic and passive. Perhaps most tellingly, the 69-year-old Williams, infamous for his lascivious songs, barely glanced at the two burlesque dancers sharing the stage with him.
Most of the small crowd of 125 were devotees who knew that Williams has been active on the periphery of the music industry for half a century. In addition to his wildly varied recording career, Williams has produced and written songs for legends including Ike Turner, Stevie Wonder and George Clinton. He's co-writer of the r&b rave-up "Shake a Tailfeather." And Williams' "Bacon Fat," which he revived Saturday night, is often cited as the first recorded rap performance.
Williams' desultory deportment was salvaged by the stunningly accomplished backing of the Diplomats of Solid Sound. The Iowa-based band breathed new life into the classic soul of Booker T. & the MGs. They backed Williams with terrific empathy and enthusiasm and offered a 40-minute set of invigorating soul before "Mr. Rhythm" took the stage. The five-piece band is fronted by three gifted soul sirens. They expertly ran through chestnuts such as Carla Thomas' "B-A-B-Y" and Mel & Tim's "Backfield In Motion." While they're an old-fashioned show band, there's nothing musty or fussy about the Diplomats.
Kansas City's the Afterparty opened the show with an intriguing set of cosmic country soul. Their woozy, wobbly and wild at heart sound is what The Rolling Stones might have sounded like had they retired in Nashville thirty years ago.
| Bill Brownlee, Special to The Star
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