Boardwalk Hall welcomes the moms, the Isley Brothers and more on Saturday.
What its promoters have dubbed the “Mothers Day Music Festival” takes place on Saturday, May 8 — the day before Mother’s Day — at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Doors open at 8pm for the concert that will include the Isley Brothers, Teena Marie and the Whispers.
The show features three of R&B’s most successful and enduring acts, each as unique as they are musically gifted. Here are my Top 5 reasons to see each act scheduled to participate in this show.
The Whispers
5. Even if you don’t like the Whispers your mom, your wife or the woman in your life (even if she’s white) will love you when they sing “Chocolate Girl.”
4. Twin brothers Wallace and Walter Scott are back in good health and singing better than ever.
3. The last time I saw the Whispers they sounded great, but their suits were so loud they had their own speaker systems. Hopefully they have gotten the memo that if it’s not Easter 1978 or your name isn’t Bishop Magic Don Juan, rainbow color suits are not fashionable.
2. You can hear 40 seconds of a song and know it’s the Whispers. They have a sound that is smooth as silk. Their harmonies blend like the hues of a sunset on the beach. The group’s sound will never be duplicated.
1. Their hits range from sweet slow jams like “In The Mood” to funk anthems like “In the Raw” and pop tunes such as “Keep On Loving Me.”
Teena Marie
5. In her latest press photo she looks sexier today than she did in the 1980s.
4. Anybody who has partied with Rick James has my respect. Teena Marie used to date the man. She gets my vote for 8th Wonder of the World.
3. Many gifted soul singers have tried to rap. Thankfully both Stevie Wonder and Prince had something other than their MC skills to fall back on. With her song “Square Biz,” Lady T penned an R&B-rap classic. First, the term “Square Biz” is still hip talk for dealing fairly with a friend. Second, Lady T’s rap in the song is educational, brazen and fun.
2. Like Tea Party members want to see President Obama’s birth certificate, I have wanted to see Marie’s biological parents ever since I heard her sing “Out on a Limb.” Seriously, Teena Marie is without question the best “blue-eyed soul singer” ever. And that might not be fair to say because Marie is one of the best soul singers period. She ranks on my list with Aretha Franklin and Patti Labelle.
1. Teena Marie’s slow jams are not just recordings, they are orchestrated passion and memories set to music. When I hear “Casanova Brown,” I don’t just slow dance with my sweetie, I almost pray that Marie’s going to make it when the song is over. When I hear “Fire and Desire” I know I’ve been listening to a serious booty call.
The Isley Brothers
5. The more you listen to the Isley Brothers, the more you hear some hip-hop classics. Rap acts from Salt N Pepa to The Notorious B.I.G. have all gone to the Isleys’ catalogue for music to rap over.
4. The long-time leader of the group Ronald Isley is finally out of jail on his tax evasion conviction.
3. Since the 1990s Ronald Isley has in some way recorded with several of the people he’s influenced over the years such as R. Kelly (with the hit “The Down Low”) and Lil Kim (with “Float On”).
2. The short-lived group Jasper Isley Jasper had one of the best one hits ever with “Caravan of Love.” The song is corny, but does make you want to love someone and the hook definitely makes you want to sing.
Atlantic City’s third annual Mother’s Day Music Festival at historic Boardwalk Hall will hold special reverential significance this year. Slated for Saturday, May 7, starting 7:30pm, the event will serve a tribute to Teena Marie (below) the Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, and producer who passed away unexpectedly December 26, 2010. Nicknamed “Lady T” and often referred to as the Ivory Queen of Soul, Teena Marie produced, sang and arranged virtually all of her songs since her 1980 album debut Irons in the Fire. Her final album, Congo Square, was a jazz-influenced collection of personal songs released in 2009. Performers at this year’s show include the Whispers, Charlie Wilson, and Keith Sweat. The Whispers have a long legacy of R&B hits, and were formed in Los Angeles by twins Walter and Wallace Scott along with Nicholas Caldwell, Marcus Hutson, and Gordy Harmon (who left in 1973). The group is known for such songs as 1964’s “I Was Born When You Kissed Me,” “The Time Has Come” (1969), “Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong” (1970), “And the Beat Goes On” (1980), and “Rock Steady” (’87). Charlie Wilson was the lead singer for the Gap Band, and sang on four number-one R&B hits including “Burn Rubber...
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1. mary sinkovitz said... on May 6, 2010 at 05:12PM
“AMAZING!!! THE WHISPERS, THE ISLEY BROTHERS AND TEENA MARIE!!! IF I HAD TO CHOOSE MUSICAL TALENT TO SEE IT WOULD MOST DEFINITELY INCLUDE ALL OF THESE ARTISTS. UNFORTUNATELY I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND THIS AFFAIR, BUT TO EVERYONE WHO IS ABLE, ENJOY!!! AND WHAT A GREAT MOTHER'S DAY PRESENT!!!”
2. Anonymous said... on May 7, 2010 at 12:46AM
“I ABSOLUTELY LOVE ALL THE ACTS!!!!!!!I GREW UP ON TEENAMARIE AN SEEN HER EVER TIME SHE WAS DOWN HOPIN TOO MEET HER 1 DAY.SHES 1 OF MY IDOLS IN MUSIC..JUST ALIL NIKKI SPARKZ SECRET:)TO ALL THAT IS GOING ENJOY..IM STILL SEARCHIN FOR VP TICKETS 4 ME AN MY MOM SO HOLLA @ ME IF ANY 1 GOT ANY INFO ON IT ON FACE BOOK PLZ ...AN HAPPY MOMS DAY EVERY 1: -]”
3. Bewildered! said... on May 10, 2010 at 09:12AM
“Can someone please tell me what happened?? I have never seen anyone treated this way---people left in droves when Ron Isley came out more than half-I thought that I was imagining it! Then to add insult to injury--Ron gets his mike cut off at 12:25 -he didn't even get to say good nite-what's up---was it a union thing?”
4. Chocolate said... on May 19, 2010 at 10:37PM
“I was at this affair. First of all, CPT was in effect badly. The Whispers were good. However, the sound system needs to be upgraded and jumbotrons added so people who are in the upper sections could appreciate it. Teena Marie and her nephew Michael were awesome. I could have listened to her all night. She was a 1 woman show. They should have had her as the finally. I must admit I was one of those that left at midnight during Ronald Isley. The Isley Brothers were a now show. Ronald was physically and vocally prepared to comeback in such a profound way. I wonder how the Mother's day show at Madison Square Garden went. Hmmm! I hope Teena was the finally.”
5. Honey and Chocolate said... on May 19, 2010 at 10:39PM
“I went to this affair with much excitement. First of all, CPT was in effect badly. The Whispers were good. However, the venue needs to update their sound system and should put jumbotrons around so everyone can appreciate it. If you didn't know the song, you couldn't hear what was being said when your in the upper sections. Teena Marie and her nephew Michael was off the hook. Teena should have been the finally and Ronald Isley first. The Isley brothers were a no-show. I must admit I was among those that left on Ronald at midnight. He physically and vocally was not ready to comeback in such a profound manner. I won't see another concert at the Boardwalk Hall until they upgrade. At one point, the sound system was messing with Teena and she stopped the song and said "you guys have to fix this or we are going to have a problem" lol :) I want to see Teena by herself. She was definitely a 1 woman show. I wonder how the show went on Mother's day at Madison Square Garden. hmmm!”