John Legend Wakes Up

Legend's backing band was the Roots, the most intense (and hardest-working) furnace in all of popular music. His demeanor was more "musician" -- he sang from behind a keyboard -- than "star." And, crucially, his material came mostly from the socially aware pages of the '70s R&B songbook -- the set opened with a sermon in street metaphysics, the Les McCann/Eddie Harris classic "Compared to What," and included Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes' "Wake Up Everybody" and Bill Withers' haunting wounded-soldier ode "I Can't Write Left-Handed."

The show was part of the annual Non-Comm radio convention, a gathering of professionals involved in non-commercial "Adult Alternative" radio. It was a fitting place to make public a collaboration that's been simmering for a few years, and will officially go aboveground when an album (working title: The Wake Up Sessions) is released in the fall.

Legend attended the University of Pennsylvania, and is familiar with what might be called The Roots Effect -- this steamrolling rhythm section makes all kinds of artists sound better. He pumped out solid churchgoing chords, and sang the lamenting melodies with a sense of purpose. And he listened to what was happening behind him: Rather than overwhelm the music with endless loverman embellishments, as per usual in commercial R&B, Legend gave these tunes -- many inspired by the Vietnam War but certainly relevant to current conflicts -- crisp, businesslike, contortion-free readings. His newfound restraint made it possible to savor the details of the Roots' groovetending -- this crew changes ordinary backbeats into intricately chopped polyrhythms that morph measure by delightful measure -- and sparked curiosity about where the collaboration might go. As the houselights came up, I overheard one sweaty fan saying, "Can't wait until they do an album of James Brown covers."