Notes on soul

A moment of silence in honor of the Godfather of Soul … … … By chance, I was listening to this fine James Brown-inspired band at about the moment lightning struck.

Also, go see Dream Girls. I got very excited about it after reading David Denby’s hyperbolic review in the Dec. 25/Jan. 1 issue of the New Yorker–“The sigh you will hear across the country in the next few weeks is the sound of a gratified audience: a great movie musical has been made at last.” Now, I wouldn’t pile on the praise quite that generously, if only because the cinematography during Effie’s showpiece, “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going,” was shameful. I found that the music, however, was perfect holiday fare.