Lee Fields & Acantha Lang at the Jazz Cafe

There can be few, if any, more exciting soul singers currently performing than Lee Fields, who tore up a packed Jazz Cafe last night. Backed by his top notch band, the Expressions, Lee has a stage act which is as energetic and watchable as James Brown combined with a voice not dissimilar to that of Otis Redding. Now aged 73, Lee made a colourful impression with a sparkly jacket and purple trousers. He first recorded in the sixties with a song called 'Bewildered' and made some funk styled records in the seventies, including his first album, 'Let's Talk It Over'. He really made his name when he joined Desco, the same label as fellow retro soul star Sharon Jones, which eventually became Daptone, and had several singles released plus duets with Sharon and the Dap-Kings. Albums for 'Truth and Soul' followed, including 'Problems' in 2002, 'My World' in 2009, 'Faithful Man' in 2012' and 'Emma Jean' in 2014. Last night's tour de force at the Jazz Cafe featured exciting performances of 'You Can Count On Me', 'Ladies' and 'Standing By Your Side' before he slowed things down with the title track of his 2022 album 'Sentimental Fool', with vocal backing from three members of the Harlem Gospel Travellers. Lee sounded remarkably like Otis on the bluesy 'What Did I Do' and moved on to 'Forever', which was played, he said, at the Superbowl final. 'Two Jobs' was a mighty performance and 'Money Is The King' featured an excellent sax break and built to a big climax, as did 'Faithful Man', from the album of the same name. His encore, 'Honey Dove' began slowly but again built up to a climactic ending. The enthusiastic crowd swayed along throughout and it's clear that there is a big demand for genuine soul among the mostly young audience.

Setting the tone for a truly soulful evening was the support act, New Orleans native Acantha Lang. A UK resident for the last 12 years, Acantha's first album 'Beautiful Dreams' is being released this week and she clearly has a big future. She began with the title track and other songs included 'Lois Lang', a song dedicated to her mum, the upbeat 'It's Gonna be Alright' and the excellent 'He Said, She Said'. Acantha has a great voice and looks good and her material is strong. Her acoustic backing last night was fine, but I would love to see her with the nine piece band that she says usually backs her. Definitely one to watch.