Paulette McWilliams Concert Review – Catalina Bar & Grill | June 27th, 2012

Paulette McWilliams Re-emerges Vivacious As Ever With Hollywood Jazz Set
Concert Review by A. Scott Galloway

Since being formally “introduced” to the world as a guest on Quincy Jones’ R&B-era Lp Mellow Madness in 1975 and later working prominently as a background singer on records and on the road with the late, great Luther Vandross, Ms. Paulette McWilliams is often lazily categorized as a soul singer…though a mighty good one. Truth be told, jazz is her root music – with a lot of class and sass. All were in colorful abundance during a rare one night/one set show in Hollywood last Wednesday (June 27, 2012) at Catalina Bar & Grill where the lady slid in to showcase music from her long-awaited first American album in four decades, Telling Stories (not counting the 2007 Japanese import-only, Flow).

(Photo: Malcolm Ali)

For the occasion, she leaned on her old friend Nat Adderley Jr. to fly in from New York to serve as her Musical Director and pianist. He in turn brought in the stalwart rhythm section of bassist John B. Williams and drummer Roy McCurdy, both longtime veterans of the jazz scene and both globally known as the three-decades-plus rhythm anchor for Nancy Wilson’s backing group. Rounding out the musicians was a special guest suggested by McWilliams herself , violinist Karen Briggs – a fiery player, performer and stage presence who gives her all in every solo – not one to hire as a side lady if you are at all insecure about being upstaged or turned out. There was nothing to fear in company this good.

In classic jazz club style, the set opened with Nat and the trio warming things up with an instrumental. Ever-quick to pay homage to his legendary father, cornetist Nat Adderley Sr., Nat Jr. turned to the title track of Dad’s classic 1961 recording “Naturally” (the one with Joe Zawinul, Sam Jones and Louis Hayes), swingin’ all the way. It was the perfect set up for Paulette who brought Karen out with her as they all climbed aboard the jazz classic “On Green Dolphin Street” (famously recorded by the aforementioned Nancy Wilson – among many others – with the George Shearing Quintet on the LP The Swingin’s Mutual, also coincidentally from `61). Slim, lovely and dating (as she “flirtily” alerted her family), Paulette dug into this one with contagious glee and dusky aplomb, her voice a warm inviting tickler to the ear. Briggs turned in the first of several highly emotive and animated solos on a violin plugged into an effects module that she, thankfully, pre-adjusted to her preferred patch of choice – no distracting switch ups for every tune.

Paulette’s Telling Stories is aptly titled as the songs she selected are all of that story variety sadly gone-missing from most of today’s radio. Of the several she shared this night, two standouts define the stretch of this woman’s gifts. First was her impeccable plunge into the pudding of language and melody that is Billy Strayhorn’s timeless “Lush Life,” savoring each evocative phrase with the dual passions of a scholar and a secret admirer. At the other end of the spectrum was how she dived into Bobbie Gentry’s multiple Grammy-winning country classic “Ode to Billy Joe,” moving cooly through the voices of the song’s family of characters as well as the narrator’s with dime-shift inflection changes, wicked irony and a whole lot of southern soul.

Adding amply to Paulette’s vocal whimsy and matching her spark for spark was Ms. Briggs and her violin which was also showcased in a special flight of Arabic Jazz fantasy instrumental, “Shahrizad.” Why this unique and fiery musician is not a star of jazz is thorn in the side mystery. Settling back in with the trio, Briggs and Adderley played off of each other well in a surprisingly up-tempo version of Leon Russell & Bonnie Bramlett’s “Superstar,” a song Adderley classically (and reluctantly) arranged in a much slower tempo as commissioned by Luther Vandross but elected to revisit here his way…in a brisk and vigorous jazz flip!

Fittingly, all involved were sent off with a warm standing ovation for a well-rounded evening of music. We had many choices that night – from the A-ticket 3-band tribute to Miles Davis playing right around the corner under the stars at the Hollywood Bowl to the rare and special treat of seeing Jimmy Cliff at the tiny Troubador club but 2 miles away. However, all present smiled inside knowing we had faithfully chosen the “underpup” and were rewarded with a litter of musical champions.

A. Scott Galloway
Music Editor
The Urban Music Scene