Jim James in Brooklyn 8/9 saturday...

[bold99]

for the Bill Withers tribut show.  Read it on jambase.com.

[The Drake]

Nice find! Thanks for posting!

What does everyone think he'll play?  I hope it's Use Me.  But how cool would Lean on Me be?

[DaFunkyPrecedent]

i hope he plays more than one song...

[Crispy]

Gotta be Ain't No Sunshine, but that's too obvious, right?

[midwesterner]

Thanks for posting this I will be heading up there tonight fo sho.

[Dodobird]

Thanks for posting this I will be heading up there tonight fo sho.

Anyone know what time Jim is playing at? I am planning to head over there myself. The Swell Season is also playing. Glen Hansard (from the Frames) is amazing! Should be cool!  8-)

[DavidCrosby]

...just read about and was going to post, you beat me too it...

[Dodobird]

So I went to this show last night. And I am so glad I did!!! What an amazing night! I knew some of Bill Withers classics like "Lean on me", "Use me", and "Just the two of us" just from being alive on this earth for the past 29 years. But for some reason I never gave Bill Withers collection of music a good listen until last night when Jim James called me out to Prospect Park in Brooklyn. I hadn't seen Jim perform live since Radio City and when I heard about this FREE show just 40 minutes from my apartment in Riverdale (the Bronx) I had to go. The venue at Prospect Park is awesome and it was a gorgeous night! There must have been about 3 thousand people there for the show. I sat back and listened to a number of different classic R&B musicians do Withers songs. His music is very soulful and moving. Bill Withers came out and did "Grandma's Hands" in the first set with James Blood Ulmer in the first set. Jim James then followed with "Ain't No Sunshine" to close the first set. Great tune! I have heard it before but was not very familiar with that song. However from talking to people at the show "Ain't No Sunshine" is one of Withers most famous songs and the people I talked to said Jim James did a great job with it. No one knew who JJ or My Morning Jacket was but they thought he had a great voice. I recommended that those folks pick up some MMJ, as I went home last night and bought Withers greatest hits off itunes. Anyway the second set was still to come but I wasn't sure if Jim was done for the night? The other band I came to see was the Swell Season, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (have you seen the movie "Once"). They played one of Bill's songs to start of the second set, however I forgot which one?
They both have such great voices. As the second set was coming to an end and I wasn't sure if JJ was going to play another? Then BAM!!! JJ walks out on stage to join the Persuasions, an A Capella group from 70s. The rest of the musicians from the night also took the stage and helped sign back up but JJ took lead vocals to sing "Lean On Me"! The song just didn't want to end as the group of about 20 musicians keep signing, hugging kissing each other as Bill Withers himself worked his way around the stage to thank everyone. Finally "Lean on Me" ended and I thought the night was over as some people started for the exits but Bill took the mic and said "we'll do this any night at your house for just $119.47". Hilarious! He didn't want to leave the stage and was hamming it up. He then called his daughter out to sign "Just the two of us". And she killed it! Bill orchestrated the band as his daughter sang "Just the two of us" to here father. So cool!
That's all I got...

[the_wizzard]

So I went to this show last night. And I am so glad I did!!! What an amazing night! I knew some of Bill Withers classics like "Lean on me", "Use me", and "Just the two of us" just from being alive on this earth for the past 29 years. But for some reason I never gave Bill Withers collection of music a good listen until last night when Jim James called me out to Prospect Park in Brooklyn. I hadn't seen Jim perform live since Radio City and when I heard about this FREE show just 40 minutes from my apartment in Riverdale (the Bronx) I had to go. The venue at Prospect Park is awesome and it was a gorgeous night! There must have been about 3 thousand people there for the show. I sat back and listened to a number of different classic R&B musicians do Withers songs. His music is very soulful and moving. Bill Withers came out and did "Grandma's Hands" in the first set with James Blood Ulmer in the first set. Jim James then followed with "Ain't No Sunshine" to close the first set. Great tune! I have heard it before but was not very familiar with that song. However from talking to people at the show "Ain't No Sunshine" is one of Withers most famous songs and the people I talked to said Jim James did a great job with it. No one knew who JJ or My Morning Jacket was but they thought he had a great voice. I recommended that those folks pick up some MMJ, as I went home last night and bought Withers greatest hits off itunes. Anyway the second set was still to come but I wasn't sure if Jim was done for the night? The other band I came to see was the Swell Season, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (have you seen the movie "Once"). They played one of Bill's songs to start of the second set, however I forgot which one?
They both have such great voices. As the second set was coming to an end and I wasn't sure if JJ was going to play another? Then BAM!!! JJ walks out on stage to join the Persuasions, an A Capella group from 70s. The rest of the musicians from the night also took the stage and helped sign back up but JJ took lead vocals to sing "Lean On Me"! The song just didn't want to end as the group of about 20 musicians keep signing, hugging kissing each other as Bill Withers himself worked his way around the stage to thank everyone. Finally "Lean on Me" ended and I thought the night was over as some people started for the exits but Bill took the mic and said "we'll do this any night at your house for just $119.47". Hilarious! He didn't want to leave the stage and was hamming it up. He then called his daughter out to sign "Just the two of us". And she killed it! Bill orchestrated the band as his daughter sang "Just the two of us" to here father. So cool!
That's all I got...

Wow!  Sounds incredible!  I would have loved to see Jim sing those songs (and BILL WITHERS!!!!  AWESOME!!!!).

Thanks for sharing, sounds like a special night.

[EgoTesticle]

Talk about an amazing night!

So, glad I dragged my wife to Brooklyn.

I was totally beat yesterday. Friday night I took my sons to the Night At The Museum at the American Museum  of Natural History in the City. After they close the museum, you go with your sleeping bags and spend the night. It was wild! They turn off the lights in the dinosaur wing and the kids go thru it with flashlights, you pretty much have the run of the whole museum until 10:30 then you go and watch the IMAX movie. At bed time you bunk down in the ocean room under the giant blue whale. However, I am 6'4" and sleeping on a cot that was 2 feet by 5 feet made for a sleepless night.

But I made it to Brooklyn and am so glad I did. A truly magical summer evening.

And JJ was sooooooooooooooooooo good. As amazing as he was at Newport.

[bold99]

Tapers??? I need to hear this ASAP.

[Dodobird]

Sorry, I didn't tape it but I am pretty sure the entire night was video taped. They will probably release a DVD of the night. I hope

[Penny Lane]

wow-that show sounded awesome...thanks for the recap-i forgot he did 'just the two of us'--JJ could have covered that, also!

[rob]

Jimmy boy's gone black and he ain't goin' back!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVItYbsDgiI

[Dodobird]

Jimmy boy's gone black and he ain't goin' back!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVItYbsDgiI

Yeah, JJ is definatley riding the soul train these days! I love it!!!

[BH]

What is the actual name of the venue?  Is it just Prospect Park?

For the records...

[Kory]

Hey, that's where my wifes cousin is getting married next april!

[Penny Lane]

What is the actual name of the venue?  Is it just Prospect Park?

For the records...

Prospect Park Bandshell

[1derfulman]

I REALLY would love to see some more of this.  Any leads out there?  Wow...sounds incredible.  

[Dodobird]

Jim Singing Ain't No Sunshine

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thatturtle/sets/72157606642420421/

I read that the recording will eventually be released. Here is another review

http://onlytheblogknowsbrooklyn.typepad.com/only_the_blog_knows_brook/2008/08/bill-withers-tr.html