HOT SPRINGS -- You could describe the voice of Aaron Neville as a national treasure and probably get no argument from the sold-out crowd that filled the Oaklawn racetrack's Finish Line Theater space Thursday night for one of the more tasteful shows that has been presented there.
Neville delivered almost two hours of a diverse array of music, with the emphasis on the doo-wop tribute that filled his latest album of a year ago. Backed by a quintet that included brother Charles Neville on saxophone and former Little Rock guitar slinger Eric Struthers, the show began with an instrumental showcase before Aaron took the stage, where he began with a medley of "Stand by Me," "Cupid," "There Goes My Baby" and "Chain Gang."
Aaron wore a Lakers hat and dark-colored pants and T-shirt, and although he began the show wearing a fashionable jacket, the heat soon forced him to shed that garment. Oddly, brother Charles kept his cool throughout the show, wearing a jacket, but then the spotlight wasn't always aimed at him.
As he warmed up his celestial voice, Aaron Neville threw in an occasional surprise, such as Leonard Cohen's "Bird on a Wire," a spirited version of "Fever" and a wondrous version of The Main Ingredient's "Everybody Plays the Fool." Fans of The Drifters were in luck, as Neville sang "Please Stay" and "This Magic Moment," but fans of The Neville Brothers were not as fortunate, as only the band's "Yellow Moon" made it into the show.
Sam Cooke's wondrous posthumous hit, "A Change Is Gonna Come," was a true shining moment, as were a pair of Bob Marley songs and Aaron Neville's version of his own 48-year-old hit, "Tell It Like It Is."
When the show reached its end, Neville knew how to go out in style, belting out "Amazing Grace," followed by a time-appropriate doo-wop classic, The Spaniels' "Goodnight My Love," then wrapping up with a real surprise, Neville's version of the "Mickey Mouse March," which was a part of the 1988 Stay Awake tribute to producer Hal Willner.
Metro on 08/22/2014