Take a teacup of heavy bass jazz, throw in a pound of juicy slide blues, mix in a pinch of reggae and fatback Southern rock, drizzle in some South African peace and soul, and bring it all to a boil in a big melting pot. That's the recipe the Derek Trucks Band and Vusi Mahlasela cooked up Wednesday night at the Center for the Arts.
Mahlasela, a South African singer, writer, poet and activist, was the opener and highlight of the night. Mahlasela's acoustic opening set featured songs dedicated to victims of apartheid, the women of South Africa, fellow writers from his country and most importantly, love.
Mahlasela's beautiful, wide-ranging voice was backed by DTB percussionist Yonrico Scott and, for some, it was the best part of the night.
"He had an amazing voice. I'd travel to South Africa to see him again," said Emily Johnston, a psychology and anthropology double major.
DTB slowly jammed into "Rasta Man Chant" by Bob Marley, which set the mood for a genre blending night of covers and original tunes, including many from their latest release, "Soul Serenade."
Singer Mike Mattison gave one of the most impressive performances of the night, releasing his lungs on the blues tune, "For My Brother" and DTB's "Joyful Noise." He was also the head chef in the band's tasty rendition of King Curtis's "Memphis Soul Stew," one of the highlights of the night.
The second highlight came at the end of the evening, in the collaborative encore between DTB and Mahlasela.
Mahlasela bounced on the stage, dancing and singing while he banged on a cowbell to the beat. His performance earned him a standing ovation and cheers of approval.
"We played about 10 times better than usual. He's amazing," Trucks said in an interview last Friday, after Mahlesela played with DTB for the first night on the tour.
The only criticism some students had after the show was about the rock-ability of the CFA.
"The seats are too comfortable. The theatre has super good sound, but dancing is discouraged. I think it's too mellow for college students," said Liam Gallagher, an environmental studies major.
Despite the lack of dancing at the show, Mahlasela's style and force mixed perfectly with the multi-cultural, multi-genre DTB, and made for a great show.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
