Solomon Burke - The King Live at AVO Session Basel
MVD

Legendary soul man Solomon Burke is pushing 70 but he's still active on the tour circuit. This show, filmed in Switzerland in 2003, finds the big man in fine voice and in a playful mood. And a big man Burke is, not only in status but in size. Burke is now so large that it is difficult for him to walk and impossible for him to stand up for an entire show so he sings from a throne situated center stage, a fitting perch for the man long known as "The King" and "King Solomon." After his large band plays the instrumental "Back at the Chicken Shack" Burke lumbers on stage to thunderous applause and launches into "The Greeting Song" and then straight into his classic hit from the '60s, "Down in the Valley." Over the course of another fifteen songs Burke touches on standards, ("Georgia on My Mind," "Mona Lisa") gospel, ("May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You") and he even channels a Tom Waits growl for a cover of Waits' "Diamond in Your Mind." At one point Burke turns the microphone over to his son Selassie Burke, jokingly telling him he can sing anything he wants so long as it's not rap. Burke's daughter Terri also gets a spotlight for her take on the disco oldie "I Will Survive" after which a rested Burke tears into a raucous medley of "Long Tall Sally," "Lucille" and "Tutti Frutti." The show comes to a satisfying close with one of Burke's signature tunes, "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love."

Steel Pulse - Door of No Return
Wiseman Doctrine

This is a very interesting documentary that follows the British reggae band on an American tour and also on a visit to Gorey Island, Senegal. Gorey Island is where Africans were loaded onto ships for the journey to America to be sold as slaves and some of the buildings from that era still stand, including the "door of no return" that gives this film its name. The band was actually in Senegal to perform in Dakar at the Human Festival in 1999 and snippets of that show are seen here. But the band's emotional reaction to seeing Gorey Island and hearing its story is much more powerful than any lyric they've ever written. Each band member is given time to comment about the experience and there is some, as can be expected, choking up. The footage from Africa is thankfully juxtaposed with happier scenes as the film cuts back and forth from Gorey Island to the band motoring along, rehearsing, etc. during a tour of the northeast portion of the States. Most of the songs included here are not heard in their entirety but there are a few songs fully performed including two versions of "Back to My Roots."

Mary Wells, Eddie Kendricks, David Ruffin, Curtis Womack And Martha Reeves - Dancing in the Street
Purple Cow/MVD

This film captures a classic Motown revue stage show during a stop at the Forum in Los Angeles in 1987. Until now this footage has been gathering dust somewhere; it has never before been aired or released to the public. That's kind of surprising because other than a couple of technical glitches (at one point Kendricks' mic fails) there is nothing wrong with the film. Granted being that it was shot in 1987 it is far from state of today's art but it nicely captures the spirit of an era that was already long gone. Mary Wells starts the show, running through several numbers including "My Guy" before giving way to Martha Reeves who shines on "Jimmy Mack" and "Heat Wave." Ruffin and Kendricks perform some of their Temptations material together ("Just My Imagination," "Ain't To Proud to Beg") and each has a solo slot; Ruffin croons "Statue of a Fool" and Kendricks choogles along with "Keep on Truckin'". Wells returns for a few songs with Womack and the whole crew joins in for the finale, "Dancin' in the Street."

Various Motown Artists - Don't Forget the Motor City
MVD