Soul has been back in the underground for some time—in the form of record collecting and revival bands—but its not so often that the original artists get a chance to play to fans that have only ever heard soul on oldies radio or on compilation CDs, or filtered through Beck or Jamie Lidell or similar contemporary hipster soul boys like Mayer Hawthorne.

So the Numero Group Eccentric Soul Revue is something special—and potentially worth the extra steep ticket price for those with an ear for Chicago’s soul heritage.

Last night, I was less concerned with how soul singers would perform than with how they would mesh with Uptown Sound—the revival band backing them. It wasn’t an issue—though there was a whiff of seriousness of purpose in the air with the Uptown players reading from charts for some reason. The hallmark of soul music is that, in a large part, however layered it may get, its not terrifically complicated. It’s feel music. But the sonics were flawless, clear and rich—the revue had soundchecked for some eight hours—and Lincoln Hall’s sightlines and generous compared to any other venue of its size.

J.C. Brooks emceed and sang with his band between full sets from vocalists Sharon Clark, Linda Balentine, Renaldo Domino, vocal group the Notations and of course, Syl Johnson. Domino sported a reddish suit and an incredibly well-preserve falsetto that suited his funkier tunes and “Not Too Cool to Cry” well, while the Notations were in big yellowish suits—they were charmingly out-of-place and having gotten a taste of big convention center-sized oldies revues they kept reminding us that they’ve had 2 million selling singles and are used to larger venues. The outfit has new music out on a CD called “Baby I Like Your Style” but its classic slow-burning “I’m Still Here” was clearly the centerpiece of the set. A well-lubricated Johnson came on a bit gruff at first, but his voice loosened up eventually—as his pelvic thrusts grew more frequent. He brought some extra eccentricity to the show. “Is it Because I’m Black?” “Differernt Strokes,” “Come On Sock It to Me” and “Take me to the River” all figured in the prolific singer/producer’s set. Pastor T.L. Barret and Choir joined all the singers for a massive version of the Rolling Stone’s “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” which benefitted from a healthy dose of not-sure-who’s taking the next line spontaneity. Otherwise, the show was locked down pretty tight—and ready to take on the road. Good thing, because it is. Keep your fingers crossed that the soul bus stops in your burg soon.

Photos: Jeff Catt