As I began to feel that chivalry had not only left the male mentality, but also his music, Chris Turner landed at 201 Broadway on a chilly Wednesday evening to quell my feelings of anguish with his soul, swagger, and showmanship. He gave his home town, Oakland, the gift of his experiences in the form of melodies and harmonies and a falsetto that would make the most bitter woman come to his musical altar for love salvation. He is the descendant and evolution of Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Curtis Mayfield, Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson all wrapped into a smooth, sweet voice that feels like a gentle hand outstretched after the most embarrassing fall. Chris Turner... genius extraordinaire.
Opening for Chris is one of my favorite Bay Area, soon to be New York, vocalists, Siaira Shawn. She was accompanied by her brilliant, albeit impromptu, keyboardist, known simply to me as George. Siaira warmed the crowd with her unique take on Andre 3000's "Prototype." While Siaira and George both engaged the song with an apparent timid hello to each other, their talents shined through, and we moved on to a favorite of mine by Ms. Shawn, "Pocket." This is a cute song that got the crowd rocking, and as Sia and George loosened up a bit, so did we. The set really took flight for me when Siaira performed her new song, "Dusk." While I wasn't too fond of the recorded version, George's chords took Siaira's fantastic lyric and arrangement to another level. The memorable hook, and Siaira's adlibs were a beauty to behold, and so you can only imagine my excitement when Sia ended her set with my absolute favorite song of hers, "Where You Are." By this point, she and George had found their rhythm and this song lifted the room to readiness for entry into Chris's moving, romantic embrace.
I gasped as my favorite Bay Area band, The Park, began playing for Chris. They were just as wonderful as I remembered. Chris began with an in-your-face version of Andre 3000's "She Lives in my Lap." The second song he performed, an original called "All We Need is Love," has been in my head all day today. His simple lyrics were so relatable, and he crooned "All we need is love/All we need is time/All we need is patience/I need you in my life." Who, of us, hasn't uttered those words? Next it was the funky, smoky, "Come Up Off It," which admonished his girl (for the night or longer) to hang it up and give it up. I appreciated that this song didn't come off as demeaning, rather as a plead for affection. More slow tempo, beautifully sang songs (I could be Wrong, Jade and Eve, Lauryn Hill's The Sweetest Thing, Undone) and a cameo from Chris' saxaphone playin', funk brangin' uncle before we came to Mr. Turner's first single, "Liquid Love." I love this single because it gives validity to the comparisons between Chris and the great artists mentioned above. The production is pristine from The Stuyvesants, and the voice has personality and polish. The fact that Chris isn't afraid to vamp a song for 5 minutes, just because he's feeling it, is what I miss from shows. The church girl in me was amped inside, yelling "You betta sing, boy!" Of course... I contained myself. Lol.
The highlight of the night was Chris ending with Sly and the Family Stone's "If You Want Me to Stay." If you're wondering what the answer is, Chris, YES WE ABSOLUTELY DO WANT YOU TO STAY! I digress. Brought up to jam with Chris were Youtube sensation, Jennah Bell, who added flare to the song and piqued my interest in hearing even more of her music, and Chris' brother in The Romantic Movement, Jesse Boykins III. This song was a groove of soulful musicians, and The Park went IN on this, with the keyboardist even hopping on the organ towards the end.
Overall, what sets Chris apart from other wonderfully talented artists? One word. SHOWMANSHIP. When he's up there, you really feel like he's working for you. You want a drink from the bar? He says, "Let me hit this high note to push you closer." You paid a $10 or $15 cover charge? "Come here and let me sing directly to you," he says. I love his forward performance on stage and his humble demeanor off stage. If you missed this show, your best bet is to wish and hope and bug Chris Turner on his Facebook Music Page or his YouTube Channel to return to the movement that he has begun in all of us... more amore.
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