Concert Review—

From Obscure Covers To Greatest Hits,

Dukes Of September Offered All Of It At The Ives

By John Voket

DANBURY — Perhaps more than a few in attendance for the August 19 Dukes of September Rhythm Review show at Ives Concert Park (the opening show of the US tour) were expecting to hear a broader representation of material from the group’s three principals, Michael McDonald, Boz Scaggs and Donald Fagan.

But individual greatest hits were few and far between, leaving plenty of time for the majority of fans to sit back and enjoy the Dukes’ two-hour, two-dozen song tribute to some of America’s most beloved pioneers of classic rock, mixed up with a few wonderfully played but obscure covers.

Backed by one of the tightest backing bands on the concert trail this summer, the Dukes came out smoking and trading off verses on Lee Michaels “Heighty Hi,” and cruising into a snappy take on Steely Dan’s “I Got the News,” to get the crowd fully engaged.

Accompanied by top echelon players including Jon Herington (guitar), Freddie Washington (bass), Michael White (drums); Michael Leonhart, Walt Weiskopf and Jay Collins (horns), Jim Beard (organ), plus background singers Carolyn Escoffery and Catherine Russell, the trio of frontmen decided to play it smart, opting to run non-stop versus splitting their showcase into two parts. The continuity and quick transition between songs also helped keep the predominantly over-40 audience interested, even when individual selections downshifted into slower or blusier arrangements.

And there was never a single point in the show where a song triggered an obvious exodus to the concessions or bathrooms.

In a national teleconference attended ahead of the tour, Fagan said the trio settled on the intriguing name for their super group after determining the bulk of their shows were going to be played in September, as well as and perhaps as a subtle reference to the age of the frontmen.

Scaggs said during that press avail that the Dukes’ final set list was refined “out of hundreds of songs we’ve picked out of the hat.”

“We just based it on musical quality, and it gives us a break from the usual material we do every summer,” Fagan added. “It influences spontaneity, so it will be fun. It’s nice to play with other musicians who make each other look good.”

The Dukes’ nods to The Grateful Dead, The Band and The Beach Boys served as familiar mile markers along their musical journey at the Ives, coming near the front of the show, as a midpoint, and during their encore.

The Dead’s “Shakedown Street” shed its bottom heavy throb in favor of a perky shuffle, putting the spotlight on the horn section and backup singers, and bringing many in the audience to their feet to dance along.

As the encore opener, “Help Me Rhonda” lacked the “wall of sound” aspect that Brian Wilson achieved with the original version, but the note-for-note treatment by the Dukes nevertheless helped the departing fans move towards the Ives’ exits with a spring in their step.

That left their mini set from The Band as perhaps the musical highpoint of the show.

During the teleconference, Fagan said the Dukes approached compiling their Band homage as much out of their mutual admiration of the musicians who made up that too short-lived outfit, as the unique sound and feeling created by combining rock, folk, gospel and jazz influences. The pivotal midpoint in the show also gave each frontman a chance to pick one favorite Band song to perform.

Leading off, Fagan said he wanted to highlight a more obscure track from Songs From Big Pink, pulling off “Caledonia Mission,” which worked well with his higher pitched voice and somewhat breathy delivery. Conversely, Scaggs’s take on “Rag Moma Rag” was a spot-on reproduction of the original, mimicking the brashier and spirited vocal style of Levon Helm.

McDonald brought the whole package to a rousing close, belting out “The Shape I’m In,” with Beard capturing the swirling organ fills with precision.

While some of the other classic covers, like Chuck Berry’s “You Never Can Tell” and O’Jays classic “Love Train,” were delivered with requisite energy, Scaggs’s classic hit “Lowdown” was among the most enthusiastically received numbers of the evening.

Immediately following up with the obscure Teddy Pendergrass piece “Love TKO” really gave the crowd a chance to see how well the midwestern born singer and guitar player could stretch.

Fagan also offered “Green Flower Street,” and the pre-encore “Reelin in the Years,” which brought a cheer from the audience, but his personal best was “IGY,” from his first solo album, The Nightfly.

McDonald sprinkled the set with a combination of solo and Doobie Brothers numbers including “I Keep Forgettin,” “What a Fool Believes,” and “Takin’ It To The Streets.” His duet with Campbell on “Don’t Mess Up a Good Thing,” and her fantastic contribution to the latter Doobie hit, gave this capable backup singer a few minutes in the spotlight.