Karen Ponzio Photo
Manny James.
The original plan this week was to see singer Manny James perform on Friday as he has been doing every other week at the Anchor Spa, but the day before I found out the night had been changed to Thursday.
“We switched days for the summer,” James told me.
As it was the first week of May, I wasn’t ready to think about summer yet. But whether it was due to climate change or the power of James, summer unofficially arrived Thursday night. The temperatures rose and remained high — both outside and inside the Anchor on College Street.
Standing in the small area at the front of the bar with the raindrops clinging to the window behind them, James and guitarist Pete Greco gave the patrons of the Anchor two hours’ worth of sweet and soulful sounds. The sultry night brought a steady crowd in and out of the bar’s open door, the sounds of that busy street occasionally wafting in and meeting the sounds of the diners seated in the back at the booths and tables, but towering above them all were James and Greco. Many wandering by stopped and peered in to check out the show.
“Anchor vibes tonight,” James announced before launching into “Cruising” by Smokey Robinson. He followed that up with a mash-up medley of three more classics — “Try A Little Tenderness,” “For Sentimental Reasons,” and “You Send Me” — honoring each one while still remaining utterly himself throughout.
Then came two of his own pieces, “Good Company” and “She is Loved” from his album Just Being Honest, he and Greco slowing them down a bit from the originals, digging in and deepening their organic beauty.
Other covers seemed almost too perfect for the simple yet stunning combination of James’s old-school meets new-groove vibe and vocals. “Sara Smiles” by Hall and Oates, “Rock with You” and “Off the Wall” (“a special request” he announced) by Michael Jackson, and “Superstitious” by Stevie Wonder all showcased James’s range. When he began to sing “Gravity,” by John Mayer, this reporter may have let out an audible gasp as he made a song I can’t say I would ever request into a song I would love to hear him sing again and again.
The patrons of the bar and restaurant rocked and swayed and sang along, much to James’ delight. During “Rock with You,” James walked to the back of the restaurant, where he had an entire table singing and moving along with him. During “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye, he went back to that same table and sang “Happy Birthday,” not once but twice, as cake came out to the delight of the diners.
Greco kept the tasty licks coming all night long, shining on the aforementioned “Gravity,” “My Girl” by the Temptations, and also “Superstitious,” complimenting James lovingly on each and every one. “Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green is not a song one thinks of when thinking of guitar, but it nevertheless became another song covered by the two that I would love to hear again and again.
James continued throughout the night to engage the audience, at one point asking those in the back “y’all ready to party a bit?” before launching into “Never Too Much” by Luther Vandross, wandering back there again while hitting those high notes and keeping it and all of the night’s covers an homage to the original while remaining utterly and wholly his own. James easily moves from Vandross to Bob Marley to John Legend without missing a beat and without ever letting us forget that we were listening to a mighty and unique vocalist.
James also made sure to share his original material, including the thoughtful and soulful “Dear America” and the sexy and super-catchy “Comfortable” from his latest album Church Street South. By the end of the night, if you did not know who James was before, it was clearly not going to be hard to remember now. James has established himself as a regular and necessary part of the downtown scene with his warm, spicy and delicious R&B, just perfect for more hot and steamy Thursday nights ahead. As he says in his song, “if you’re feeling comfortable, you ain’t gotta go nowhere.”
Manny James will be performing at the Anchor Spa every other Thursday from 9:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. for the rest of the summer. Check his Facebook page for more event information.
