Before the first three songs were over at Lael Summer's showcase performance Friday evening, she had covered funk, soul and blues work outs, and before her 8 song 45 minute evening was complete, Lael would throw in a power ballad and a self help song, in a fine, point making evening of blue eyed soul by a powerhouse singer.
The doors opened late at the Triad Theater and we could hear Lael through the doors at soundcheck and even that was thrilling. Lael has a powerful voice and had covered Christina Aguilera at the age of 10, and she has some of that husky undertow to her vocals: listening in, we felt a tingle of anticipation, her singing a throaty passionate declaration of intent.
I went to see Christina opening for TLC early in Christina's career, and Lael is so good she reminds of the woman. It is a wrangling, subordinating scene stealer of a voice and, at center stage, it takes over from both Lael's nervousness and the bands overwhelming thereness. It takes care of Lael's early reticence, it takes over the packed out theater. Her voice is her calling card, it is why we are here.
Pushing her newly released EP, a taster for the Autumn debut album Burden to Bear, Lael plays all 4 songs off the EP and four others. She takes the stage with Tomas Doncker, the Global Soul Label leader, and co-writer of Lael's songs, and what looks like the band Doncker used at the Power Of Trinity gig (without Selam)and launches into what may be her best song, a piece of funk sexiness, "I Need A Man". On the P-Funkish workout fronted by a Maceo like Sax. Lael comes across as the real thing, capable of the pacing and power necessary. But I might have kept the song in pocket for the penultimate number of the set. Along with the brittle fury of "Too Small", they are set highlights and could carry her all the way off the stage for the night if she wanted them to. Though the songs don't have the power or vocal range of "Good Fight", they are more fun and more completely a part of the 20 year olds persona: a sweet kid with a musical gift who won't let the world as a whole, and men in particularly, fuck with her.
I am not certain Lael is exactly where she should be as a musician though, I don't think she takes full advantage of her gifts. . The world needs more Great American Standards singers, I would love to hear her tackle Gershwin or Waller or Ellington as well as soul, blues and funk. And she missteps on power ballads. This is as much a matter of personal preference on my behalf as anything, but I would rather hear "Not Misbehaving" than any Hall And Oates except maybe "Private Eyes"! Certainly, Lael's voice is protean enough to give us both is she wanted and she should.
Still, this is a very good set and Lael has an easy going sexiness on stage, willing to let the audience in on the experience through talking to go us, asking after us, to put it simpler: being real. By an odd coincidence, I dashed from Lael's set to catch Valerie Simpson at Lincoln Center. Lael doesn't need that kinda synchronicity! It's as if she had to follow one of our great soul singers (and Diana Ross was in the audience!) Uh Oh. But Lael came out of it still sounding great and what I did think was maybe Lael should cover "Street Corner"! Yes, folks, she is that good. Can't wait for the album.
Grade: B+