Amos Lee
Starbucks (24th & Nueces), Friday, March 18
Taking a breather from opening for Bob Dylan and Merle Haggard, Philly singer-songwriter Amos Lee found himself beneath a tent in the parking lot of a campus-area Starbucks. Not unlike his Blue Note labelmate Norah Jones – with whom he toured internationally last year and who, coincidently, played this same venue as a SXSW unknown immediately prior to her ascent – the former schoolteacher’s low-key, soulful blending of genres is easy on the ears. Dressed casually in blue jeans and a pink shirt, sleeves rolled to the elbows with tails out, Lee, his wardrobe, and his music flow smoothly among elements of folk, neo-soul, alternative country, funk, and a bit of jazz. He was backed by a tight threepiece and sampled liberally from his new, self-titled debut. Lee’s ode to Philly, “Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight,” is a yearning for racial harmony while “Seen It All Before” was an earthy ballad demonstrating the vocal influence of Seventies soul giants like Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, and Donny Hathaway. It was guitarist Nate Skiles who provided the spice by tripling on mandolin, and on “Give It Up” his muted trumpet replaced the LP’s organ, which added a whole new dimension to the song. Lee closed the 40-minute set with a relaxed, soul-stirring rendition of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come,” followed by a juicy R&B rave-up on “Caramel” where he was joined by Philly homeboy Moo-Moo, who drew a spirited response from the large, racially mixed crowd. Don’t be surprised to see Amos Lee headlining his own tours before long.
This article appears in March 18 • 2005.