Geno Young plays Fort Worth

Geno Young. (Photo: Geno Young collection)

Geno Young, the Dallas singer, does not perform a lot of events throughout the year; so when he does announce an event it is a special occasion. He ventured a few miles west to Fort Worth at The Live Oak and he brought some friends with him: Kirk Thurmond and the Millenials opened the show and R.C. and the Gritz followed up before Geno Young took the stage.

When Geno Young took the stage R.C. and the Gritz supported him as the backing band. Young knows the Gritz well because they recorded together in past. The Gritz also moonlights as the backing band for Erykah Badu which is another connection with Geno who was Erykah’s first musical director.

Geno’s set opened up with the song Condition from his Ear Hustler album. In the song, he promises his girl, “I’m gonna buy you a new car.” On that chorus, he showed great interaction and interplay with his female background singers -- whom he says he never do a show without – Chelsea West and Deedee Yancey-Mackey. Braylon Lacy’s bass accentuated this one.

At the end of that song he announced he is bringing out an album Tall, Dark and Handsome and he left no doubt whom that phrase is referring to. He then led the band into Bill Withers’ ‘Use me, use me, til you use me up’ as a musical intro to his song Paper Thin. And he got the crowd to join him singing the hook ‘Just paper thin.’

From the Ear Hustler album, he segued to the Ghetto Symphony album with a song that he said has been good to him and still gets air-play -- Honey Dew. Ooowee, honey dew; but in place of ‘ooowee’ he began to scat a la Ella Fitzgerald and led his background singers into an acapella.

He then moved on to the ballad ‘She Won’t talk to me’. He and his singers used a mid-sentence pause to good effect. He allowed some space for the horns of Jarriel Carter (trumpet) and Mike Brooks and Evan Knight (both tenor saxophone). The horns blended and interplayed with keyboard of bandleader R.C. Williams.

With the legend, Stevie Wonder coming to town this weekend, Geno could not resist doing a Stevie Wonder number. He opened up on keyboard and was joined by Frank Moka on percussions to “I don’t want to bore you with it, but I love you…” And he had the crowd singing along.

Geno dispensed with the keyboard and picked up the guitar for Let’s Lay Down Together. He gave instructions all night to his band, “Keep it there,” “one more time,” but this time he led with his guitar into the song “This Girl of Mind” which had a 1970’s-Superfly-Curtis Mayfield vibe. This song allowed for an instrument that has virtually disappeared from today’s R&B, the guitar. Mark Letierri took his guitar solo in the vein of the Isley Brothers to the delight of the fans.

Geno did a blues number and then ended with the song Shoulda. And in the outro he gave introductions and solos also acknowledging Jah Born on the MPC and Cleon Edwards on drums.

The Live Oak in Fort Worth, a new venue for the Dallas-based bands; a good-looking venue nestled in the Fairmont neighborhood. The stage has the look of a theatre where people would come to see a play. The semi-circle around and above the stage is decorated in alternate wood-grain and green stripes. Along the wall black picture frames alternate with painted red lights. Guests sat around tables like a dinner show and food was served; the kitchen was open. The ceiling had the avant garde look of downtown loft with exposed air condition ducts and wiring.

A great venue; and Geno Young promised to be back!