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MUSIC NOTED IN BRIEF
MUSIC NOTED IN BRIEF; Peabo Bryson Presents Palladium Soul Concert
Peabo Bryson is the Pavarotti of soul singers. He has a cherubic presence, plenty of wholesome romantic appeal and a pure, booming tenor voice. Mr. Bryson writes his own love songs, though, and his ornate vocal lines come from gospel music rather than opera.
His concert Saturday at the Palladium was a virtuoso showcase.
When he appeared in the late 1970's, Mr. Bryson would simply stand there and belt, but he has become more of a showman. His band introduced him with a Las Vegas-style fanfare, danced the same steps he did, and vamped calmly as Mr. Bryson handed out roses to the women who thronged the stage during his finale. The arrangements rushed some songs and interrupted others with horn-section flourishes, but the audience didn't mind.
While Mr. Bryson is an undeniable success, he tends to overpower his songs in concert. He stretches out nearly every phrase, rarely using one note when he can pour out a mellifluous dozen, and turning gospel's emotional outbursts into mechanical displays. His songs would be even more romantic if he let them breathe.
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