What a wonderful story and what a wonderful event.
The rain stayed away, musicians came to play and after almost two years of planning, James Brown finally got his Payback.
The inaugural Payback (Celebrate James Brown) festival took place Saturday on what would have been the Godfather's 75th birthday.
The event kicked off with the Swanee Quintet performing for a sparse but enthusiastic crowd under threatening skies. Halfway through the legendary gospel act's set, singer Percy Griffin left the stage and took the show into the audience, turning the group's electric gospel into a sort of revival celebrating both God and the Godfather.
Greg Hester followed, playing a soulful set with members of James Brown's band after first being introduced by the legendary keeper of the cape, Danny Ray. Athens act the Modern Skirts played next, and after a short break, headliners Branford Marsalis and the Doobie Brothers performed for a slowly swelling audience under clearing skies. The evening concluded with a set by the Soul Generals, featuring Mr. Brown's son Daryl Brown.
Mr. Marsalis said that for him and his band, the opportunity to play the festival meant more than merely filling a slot on the bill.
"The fact that this is James Brown's hometown, and that this is for him, that's the whole reason we are here," the jazz giant said. "It's really an affirmation. James Brown has had a profound effect on music, on me and on everybody in this band."
Looking tired but happy, Augusta Museum of History Executive Director Nancy Glaser watched the end of the Modern Skirts' set from a shaded seat. Ms. Glaser, who was involved in the planning of the festival and the museum exhibition dedicated to James Brown, said there's a reward of seeing both events come to fruition.
"It's beyond satisfying," she said. " Watching James Brown's children while the Swanee Quintet was playing, that alone made it all worthwhile. It's been a long journey, but wonderful. I feel like James Brown has been there with me the whole time."
Deanna Brown-Thomas, Mr. Brown's daughter, said there have been hard and emotional days since her father's death on Christmas Day 2006.
She said Father's Day and Christmas are difficult and that going through the museum exhibition, which opened Saturday, was emotional. But his birthday, she said with a smile, will now be something to look forward to.
"Today is a great day for me," she said . "It's a chance just to sit back and be his daughter, to watch other people enjoying him and enjoying his daughter."
Motioning toward the crowd assembling to hear Mr. Marsalis pay his jazz tribute, she laughed quietly. "I mean look at this. Even in death, he can still bring us together."
Reach Steven Uhles at (706) 823-3626 or steven.uhles@augustachronicle.com.
Comments
What a wonderful story and what a wonderful event.
Great event last night.
This event was extremely nice. If you guys did not attend, you missed out. I think this turned out better because so many people that were from out of town were able to walk through downtown and go to the museum to see all the exhibits. I wish all of us could dance in the streets all the time without incident. This was great!
"Today is a great day for me," she said . "It's a chance just to sit back and be his daughter, to watch other people enjoying him and enjoying his daughter."
Who came to see James Brown's daughter? What an ego. And in the Soul Generals, there were 3 members who ever played with Mr. Brown, yet the rest are still out of work. Some of the old band came to honor Mr. Brown, unpaid, while the pretenders played with the band, and got paid.
A good idea, that was hijacked by people with personal motives, again. Sad.
it was nice to see the great turn out, i also got to see some of my old friends that played in the band when it was still called the"JB,S". i hope that this will be an annual event, i was real proud of my hometown.
Really enjoyed a great event that was well organized. Really would have liked to see one of the top area unsigned bands over Modern Skirts but otherwise...the greatest feeling was looking around at the crowd during the day and seeing people of all types dancing, singing and just enjoying a beautiful day of music. We hear so much about racial disharmony and having a split group of commissioners but it would appear that the overall feel of the community is that we all have a place in this city TOGETHER. To critics who I have heard ask "why are we paying back James Brown"-well how about for providing the music and legacy to bring a city together?
You mean it took them 2 years to plan a one day concert??? Dang what a waste. We had much more fun at the James Brown Festival that Champ Walker put on for Mr. Brown. And they had Mr. Brown there to peform. Even with the constant bad press by the AC, a heck of alot more people showed up to Walker's event, too. BTW, why is there 2 event honoring Mr. Brown anyway. Since it was Champ Walker's idea to start with why not get behind his festival and make it a grand one.
i was there, but i really hoped for a much better turnout. i was very disappointed. while branford marsalis is a tremendous jazz artist and the doobies are legendary classic rock artists, the soul-funk representation that mr. brown created was obviously devoid of funk. would've been nice to see kool & the gang, or maybe some P-Funksters or Tower of Power. again, i give kudos to the organizers for Repping JB, but, hopefully next year, they'll book acts more closely resembling mr. brown's funk creations. and, there's plenty of em out there still working the circuit who would love to perform here: the ohio players, dazz band, zapp, t.o.p., sara and the dapp funksters, kool's gang, fred wesley and maceo's bands, Bootsy, Brick and what about some old hiphop groups from NYC like kool moe dee, big daddy kane, epmd, heavyD, kurtis blow and afrikabaambatta. JB was the first influence on hiphop. i'm sure original hiphop fans and artists, many who are now in their 40s and 50s, would've loved to come and show love to the Godfather. There's always next year. And keep the prices a little bit more reasonable please. Forty-five big ones can add-up for a family of five -- like ours.
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