The Ambassador of Love, also known as Glenn Jones, returned to Washington D.C.’s City Winery on Friday, February 21st, 2020, to cement his status as one of the premiere R&B crooners of his time. My introduction to Glenn Jones’s music was courtesy of my mother in the eighties. However, while serving overseas the U.S. Air Force in my mid-twenties, I purchased Glenn’s 2006 album, Forever-Timeless R&B Classics, and instantly became a fan in my own right.
Dressed in casual attire, while maintaining a grown man style, Glenn opened his set with one of his signature songs, “We’ve Only Just Begun (The Romance Is Not Over)” followed by a tease of the jazz-flavored “Here I Am.” Glenn then sang one of my personal favorites, “Here I Go Again,” from the same-titled 1992 album. Personally, for me, the night was made with just those two songs, but seeing as Glenn is an immaculate vocalist, he had a few more vocal treats for the audience.
Reaching way back in his catalog, Glenn took the audience on a trip back in time to perform “At Last” from his 1987 self-titled album. The synth sounds of the production still sound fresh, thirty-three years later. With Glenn’s silky smooth vocals, “At Last” has a Chicago steppers vibe and should’ve been a hit. Thankfully though the groove of the track, wasn’t last night on the audience, as I observed numerous concert-goers, snapping their fingers and tapping their toes.
Glenn also performed the sentimental wedding ballad “In You,” before taking it way back to his debut single the Norman Conner’s assisted “Melancholy Fire.” While I consider myself a fan of Glenn’s music, I didn’t know about this particular song until Glenn’s Unsung episode. I immediately download the song after hearing it, and I never expected it to hear LIVE, so I was happy that Glenn decided to perform it.
After a brief outfit change (in which time Glenn’s amazing background singers paid tribute to Aretha Franklin), Glenn returned to the stage and ventured into different music styles. Up first was the blues, where Glenn brought the house down with “More Than You’ll Ever Know.” A gospel medley followed, where Glenn gave his audience the holy ghost on a Friday night.
As the night began to wind down, Glenn took time to perform his new single, a cover of Rockie Robbins “You & Me” released under his new record label Talent Room Entertainment (TRE), based in Atlanta, GA. Every artist has one or two songs that they must perform at a live show, so it natural that Glenn closed his show out with two of his signature songs, “Show Me” and “I’ve Been Searchin (Nobody Like You). With the audience singing along word for word on both tracks, it was apparent that Glenn is always welcome in D.C.
Luther Vandross once had a dialogue with R&B confidant and fellow balladeer Peabo Bryson and mentioned that “There are only three true R&B crooners, myself, you and Glenn Jones.” After seeing Glenn’s live show, I fully understand Luther’s assessment.
Final Grade A+
On Sunday, September 22nd, the renowned R&B band Atlantic Starr graced America’s Legendary Music Hall, The Birchmere, located in Alexandria, VA, with a captivating performance characterized by classic R&B ballads and dance floor anthems.
Since Hart will put this special on Netflix or Peacock at some point, I’ll keep my review brief and spoiler-free. The show started with a bang as Hart’s longtime friends, ‘The Plastic Cup Boys,’ each delivered a solid set, setting a high bar for the rest of the show. Hart then took the stage in casual attire, which harked back to his early days.
The night closed out with the tune “Make Them Hear You” from “Ragtime” and was followed by an encore of the Whitney Houston classic “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.” While some fans may have been let down not hearing Headley’s classics such as “In My Mind,” “He Is,” and “I Wish I Wasn’t,” it was clear she has a voice that can sing anything with elegance.
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