By Ira Kantor
When it comes to the greatest live albums of all time, artists and bands become instantly identifiable with venues and regions. KISS and Bob Seger, for example, will always be synonymous with Detroit’s Cobo Hall. U2 will always be synonymous with Red Rocks in Colorado. And iconic yet wholly underrated soul band Maze (featuring Frankie Beverly) will always be synonymous with New Orleans’ Saenger Theatre.
Recorded over two days nearly 44 years ago, Maze’s Live In New Orleans is a testament to a group that never needed “hit singles” to make its mark in popular music. From the moment the concert emcee announces “Maze…fea-tur-ing…Frankie Beverly!” with fantastic relish to the euphoric crowd, the energy is palpable and Beverly and his seven-person crew revel in an ambiance littered with smiles, seduction, and success.
Admittedly, I became a Frankie Beverly fan as recently as two months ago. I’m still reeling from news that Beverly passed away September 10th at the age of 77, having completed a Maze farewell tour earlier this year. For me, it’s irrelevant that their biggest hit, 1979’s “Feel That You’re Feelin’,” peaked no higher than Number 67 on the Billboard Hot 100, they are probably the greatest R&B band you’ve never heard of. A shocking thought, given the Bay Area by way of Philadelphia group would actually score 24 Top 40 singles on the US R&B chart throughout its tenure…and see seven of their studio albums go gold!
With Live In New Orleans, we hear how impactful the group is on stage. For the record, the live version of “Feel That You’re Feelin’” is a nearly 10-minute call and response that culminates in a delicious expletive uttered by Beverly himself. I chuckle with glee every time I hear it.
Take a moment to imagine someone exuding the combined pinnacle showmanship qualities of Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway, George Benson, and Teddy Pendergrass but carrying as accessible an aura as that of a beloved baseball cap-wearing uncle. To me, that’s Beverly at his core. His sweet voice — the prototype for Jeffrey Osborne in the 1980s — and sermon-like manner of stage patter are the kind designed to get heads bobbing and feet smacking the floor. It’s a no-brainer why Beverly is a ubiquitous staple on the SiriusXM channel “The Groove.” Live In New Orleans is a terrific amalgam of Mardi Gras-esque jubilation and the best of church on Sunday morning. Early on, Beverly describes being asked why he would choose to record a live album in New Orleans.
His response: “Well, why not, ya dig?”
Oh how I wish Bootsy Collins would’ve made an appearance here to immediate chime in with, “Yabba dabba doozy, mama!”
It’s Beverly’s casual and breezy manner of looking at life and art that makes this album worthy of repeat listening. While the songs aren’t eternal staples, many are, in fact, earworms. There’s the guitar-chugging beat of “You;” the upbeat funk of “Southern Girl” and “Changing Times.” Let’s also not forget the deep cut “Look at California,” which echoes the best of War and Gil Scott-Heron until it picks up the pace and Beverly works to ensure that the beauty of California intertwines with the vibes he’s picking up on in Louisiana. Even ballads like “The Look In Your Eyes” ooze sensuality and undeniable hook.
And then there’s the one-two knockout punch of two tracks that elevate Beverly and crew from mere musicians to icons of a glorious R&B age. First is “Joy And Pain,” one of Maze’s greatest tracks in that it plays with dichotomies throughout — light and dark, happiness and sadness, “sunshine and rain.” But ultimately this song gets the whole crowd up and moving as Beverly turns the microphone over to his audience and their enmeshed voices rise to the ceiling with greater and greater intensity.
Next comes “Happy Feelin’s,” taken from the band’s eponymous 1977 debut album. Once Beverly starts the count-off and the track’s beefy bass notes kick in — followed by Beverly’s exuberant exclamation of “Bless your heart, ya’ll” in reaction to the crowd’s response – we’re all hooked. We can’t help but feel happy as we listen to this track and Beverly pours forth copious amounts of musical positivity from his golden throat.
Similar to Weather Report’s excellent 8:30, Live In New Orleans boasts a generous portion of live tracks with new studio originals sprinkled in at the end: “Running Away,” “Before I Let Go,” “We Need Love to Live,” and “Reason.” Just try to convince me otherwise that the late, great Bobby Womack didn’t hear these four tracks and use them as the storyboard basis for creating his undisputed album masterpiece, 1981’s The Poet.
It’s not often I hear a live album that makes me wish repeatedly that I had attended that particular series of concerts. It’s also not often that I’m thankful for a live album that showcases a musician who is undoubtedly so full of life once he hits the stage. Which is why Beverly’s passing is a hard one for me personally.
