As political and racial tensions continue to divide the nation, clear evidence that music can bring people together was on display at New York’s Apollo Theater for “An Evening of Respect: Celebrating Otis Redding,” a benefit concert in support of the Otis Redding Foundation.
Based in Macon, Georgia, where Otis grew up and sang in church choirs, the Foundation is overseen by his daughter, Karla Redding-Andrews, and provides free music programs for children. The evening was indeed a family affair, with Karla serving as Mistress of Ceremonies and brothers Otis III and Dexter celebrating their father’s legacy with a stellar lineup of musical guests.
As the sold-out house settled in, the sound of brass from the rear of the auditorium announced the arrival of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Marching down the aisle, clapping hands and singing “Amen,” the tone was set for an evening of joyous music. The Dap-Kings took over to serve as the house band and provide the back beat. Otis III joined on guitar for a rollicking cover of “Knock On Wood” before brother Dexter took thing up a notch with “Shake.” Special guests followed, including Nikka Costa, Ty Taylor of Vintage Trouble and Paul Janeway of St. Paul & the Broken Bones.
If there’s a major musical event happening somewhere, you can bet Warren Haynes will be there. After plugging in his Les Paul for “Hard to Handle,” Haynes was joined by his discovery, Marcus King, a youthful doppelganger resplendent in a fire-red suit. Haynes and King traded licks on “Satisfaction”—a reminder that Redding recorded the Rolling Stones’ classic and regularly performed it live.
Next up were “two young men” introduced as having bright futures in the music business: Redding’s bandmates and Stax Records legends Booker T. Jones and Steve Cropper. “Green Onions” sounded as fresh as when the M.G.’s recorded it in 1962, but it was Michelle Williams who had the house on its feet with her emotional performance of “A Change Is Gonna Come.” Without veering into politics, a message was delivered, and the crowd stood and cheered as Ms. Williams soared to ever-greater heights.
Guests returned to the stage for “Try A Little Tenderness” and, of course, “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay.” Kudos to the Apollo Theater and its staff for the laid-back vibe. It’s a storied venue where dancing in the aisles is not only customary but somewhat mandatory. Where would American music be without the influences of blues, gospel and soul? As the crowd emptied on to West 125th Street, everyone knew the answer.
Thanks to Scott Gibson, you can watch a full playlist of videos from the Otis Redding celebration below:
Celebrating Otis Redding – Full Show Video Playlist
[Videos: sgibson818]
Otis Redding Celebration – An Evening of Respect – Setlist
[Image via JamBase]