Ashlee Simpson
Ashlee Simpson spent a lot of time at DAR Constitution Hall on Tuesday thanking fans for sticking by her even though she's "been through a lot this year." She meant being exposed as a lip-syncer on "Saturday Night Live," and being exposed as a fibber while trying to explain the technical difficulties that led to that exposure. Regardless, from the supportive shrieks she received while fishing for pity, one might conclude that Simpson's lot is as pitiable as the tsunami victims'.
The cross she bears since the lip-sync debacle only strengthens the bond Simpson clearly has with her mainly teenage, female audience. Simpson, 20, has allowed herself to be marketed as ugly, clumsy, put upon and smart -- the opposite of Jessica Simpson, her older sibling, for whom everything works out peachy on reality TV. To counter Jessica's blond perfection, Ashlee wears her hair black and sports dark, cheap-looking sneakers and sloppy clothes; her jeans were cut so low they seemed to be held up only by her last meal. The relationship counsel she doled out to fans always got back to how badly things go between her and the boys. While shrieking her hit "Autobiography," Simpson stumbled around the stage as if oafish.
Of course, most of Simpson's act is, alas, an act. She occasionally slipped up and revealed how graceful she really can be -- no oaf could pirouette across the stage as she did during "Surrender." But Simpson's vocal ability remains suspect: Her crooning on "Shadow," a song she says she wrote about being Jessica's little sis, was off-key to such a degree, it was as if she was trying to make herself bulletproof against accusations of using recorded tracks.
-- Dave McKenna
Les McCann
Although he suffered a stroke a decade ago and moves slowly these days, veteran singer and keyboardist Les McCann still carves out soul-jazz grooves faster than you can pull up a chair.
Which is why Blues Alley, a smoke-free club, was smokin' on Tuesday night. McCann played electric keyboards exclusively, steering clear of the more physically demanding piano. But for the most part he sounded like his old self, soulful to the core.
Backed by the Texas Savages, a fine, Dallas-bred trio, McCann began by saluting the late organist Jimmy Smith with "Back at the Chicken Shack." The "chitlin' circuit"-flavored arrangement quickly erased all memory of the innocuous smooth-jazz sounds that have engulfed radio since the heyday of soul-jazz in the '60s.
McCann left the heavy lifting to Hammond B-3 organist Bobby Sparks, who specializes in keyboard-sweeping crescendos, and tenor saxophonist Keith Anderson, who favors a searing R&B tone. McCann underscored the moods with economy, playing little riffs and block chords and briefly soloing.
The opening set included two tunes associated with the late saxophonist Eddie Harris, McCann's best-known collaborator. "Cold Duck Time" quickly turned into an after-hours romp showcasing Anderson's honking tenor. The McCann-Harris signature hit "Compared to What" was saved for last and, not surprisingly, triggered a boisterous, crowd-fed coda. Not that there weren't some subdued performances: McCann's singing on "Amazing Grace" was quietly poignant, and the romantic ballad "With These Hands" was delivered with old-school sincerity.
The engagement runs through Sunday.
-- Mike Joyce
