The first time I saw Prince on stage was at the Ritz in 1981 and I have seldom missed an opportunity since then but the last time I saw him, December 2010, I was not overwhelmed. I am not saying he was bad just not what everybody was saying he was at the time. And his recorded work? Has lacked any consistency whatsoever at least since Crystal Ball. Prince's fight with Warner Bros over who owns the masters of his songs might be fair enough but what he gained in control he lost in quality.As for last years "Rock And Roll Love Affair" -I didn't even remember it at the end of the year.
As for the Roots? They might be a great backing band but they are the Paul Schaefer Orchestra of funk: session men. Listen to their well overestimated last album, raved about for no reason I can hear, and the power of TV becomes manifest.
So the news that philanthropic producer and City Winery owner Michael Dorf (he brought us the Rolling Stones tribute last year), is bringing us a Prince Tribute doesn't precisely fill me with hope, but on the other hand, it might kill. A "Prince In the 1980s" tribute might do it. And who knows what songs Prince will approve, this is the guy who turned down Elvis Costello's request to cover "Pop Life" so, you know, who can tell what the ill tempered midget will want.
Along with the Roots, Booker T, Blind Boys of Alabama, DeVotchka, Madeleine Peyroux, The Waterboys, Talib Kweli and Living Color are set to perform and, really, is it Carnegie Hall or Highline Ballroom? Where are the big names here? Stevie Wonder? No? How about Paul Simon? I guess Costello is out of the question but Kanye or Beyonce any one? Cmon, at least Larry Graham.
I'm going anyway despite it being a pricey evening (the cheapest tix I could find was $56) and tix are currently on sale at carnegiehall.org for the March 7th evening.