Gospel and groove

Luke Sweeting was in town again with his Soul-Gospel band, a project of Luke and singer Eliza Kate, playing in the Street Theatre with the full 12-piece outfit and great sound and a string of original tunes amongst covers.  The theme is not my thing, but the music is and it was a blowout and the originals were every bit as good as those covers.  Busy chords, interesting melodies, great harmonies, funky or variously driving grooves embellished with a string of bass solos and solos from the other instruments, piano, not too many from guitar although one biggie, a few of each horn (two tenors an trumpet), some spots where the trio of backing singers took front lines, perhaps swapping lines with Eliza, perhaps with each other.  The balance was strong on bass and drums and Eliza's voice, choppy guitar and piano when it appears and the other voices and horns, perhaps less so for the organ which was discernable but soft, like piano much of the time.  The groove was the work of bass, drums and guitar, not unsurprisingly. I was amused by Luke standing to use a diminutive keyboard and hearing an effective clavinet or Rhodes; O brave new world / That has such [tech] in't.  Thus with the Hammond, of course, being these days shrunk to a keyboard.  I loved the grooves, the occasional odd timed bass lines, the effective bass and drum underlay.  Just lovely.  And those harmonies, not overbearing but rich and responsive, sitting over the powered and lively voice of Eliza who spelled every song of the evening except maybe one, a good 90+ minutes of solid, radio-length songs and just a few expanded with various solos, with her expressive voice and wide range and inviting presence of posture and movement and joy.  They quote a love of northern soul and there's a range of soul and gospel musics but what they do is a blast.  So much enjoyed.  Heard in a raked theatre setting but just threatening the dance floor.

Majesty Rising performed at the Street Theatre.  MR is a 12-piece soul-gospel band led by Eliza Kate (vocals) and Luke Sweeting (piano, MD) with a lineup of vox, 3xbacking vox, 3xhorns (2xtenor, tpt), piano, organ, guitar, bass, drums.