by Fred Pessaro // BBG

Lee Fields & The Expressions, Fort Greene Park 7/10/2012

It was right around the time that DJ Akalepse threw on a Roy Ayers classic followed by "The Planet" by Gang Starr (with its chorus "out in B-R-double-O-K-lyn the planet") that I realized just how "Brooklyn" the entire thing was. I rode my bike to the show. I was debating a quinoa falafel. I was waiting for a 60s throwback soul band in a park while sitting on a blanket. I just saw a band playing music from Sierra Leone and was now listing to a guy spinning 45s.

The subject of the beautiful evening was Lee Fields & The Expressions, the retro-soul crew featuring a sixty-year-old crooner as a frontman, who headlined a show at Fort Greene Park last night (7/10) featuring support from Janka Nabay. The opener practiced in Bubu music, a bouncy style that was perfect for the atmosphere, though nothing I would ever personally sink my teeth into.

I am a sucker for old soul, James Brown, The JB's, and anything associated with the People label of the 70s, so naturally I enjoyed the Lee Fields. The Expressions are tight and Fields is enigmatic on stage; he handles the crowd well by encouraging audience participation, engaging with individual ladies from the crowd, and gliding across the stage like his shoes were slathered in butter. Though I don't usually sit down and listen to Daptone-and-related records, their live shows are always interesting and fun to watch.

The next Fort Greene Park show goes down on July 24th and features Shabazz Palaces and THEESatisfaction.

More pictures from Fort Greene Park last night are below.

Continue reading "Lee Fields & The Expressions and Janka Nabay played Fort Greene Park (pics, review)"

Lee Fields at MHOW in March (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

Speaking of free shows in Fort Greene Park, Lee Fields and the Expressions will play one at the outdoor Brooklyn venue on July 10 with Janka Nabay & the Bubu Gang and DJ Akalepse. That show happens two weeks before Lee opens for Wilco at Prospect Park (7/23) (tickets).

Meanwhile, you can catch Janka Nabay in NYC TONIGHT (6/12) at Zebulon with Nass Gnawa and The Oracle DJ's. Janka's tour dates also list The Avant Garde Diaries on June 19 at a TBA address.

A list of all dates and some videos below...

Continue reading "Lee Fields & the Expressions playing free show at Fort Greene Park w/ Janka Nabay, who plays Zebulon tonight (dates)"

Shabazz Palaces at Sasquatch 2012 (more by Chris Graham)

Avant-rap group Shabazz Palaces have a few upcoming dates this summer including the previously discussed NYC show at Williamsburg Park on August 19 supporting My Morning Jacket (tickets). They'll play their own NYC show before that though, with a free show on July 24 at Fort Greene Park with labelmates THEESatisfaction, with whom they often collaborate, and DJ Daniel Givens.

A list of all dates and some videos below...

Continue reading "Shabazz Palaces playing shows w/ THEESatisfaction, including a free one at Fort Greene Park (dates)"