BWW Reviews: Electric Motown Music Relived at the Federal by MARK ARTHUR MILLER

On Sunday, July 19 pop/ rock/soul balladeer Mark Arthur Miller brought his uber entertaining show Soul Searching to an SRO crowd at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal. The man tells his story about growing up on the south side of Chicago in the 60s via the tunes that shaped him, notably those of Motown and his dad Ron Miller who became one of the few very successful white lyricists/composers at Motown Records. Ron Miller wrote "Touch Me in the Morning", "For Once In My Life" and "If I Could" among many other hits. Mark Arthur Miller's show is not only a reflection of his passion for the unforgettable rhythms of that era but also a loving ode to his father.

And it resonated quite beautifully with the Federal audience. Miller's velvety smooth voice and rhythmic body gyrations, abundantly effective in a limited space, called forth the images in sight and sound of greats like Eddie Kendrix of The Temptations, Otis Redding, Smokey Robinson as well as the female stars like Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight and Diana Ross. His tributes are infectious, filled with the unique joy of yesteryear, but appealing to both an older and younger audience as judged by Sunday night's unanimously positive reception. There is such sincerity and heart also in his spoken words as he talks about losing his dad's companionship at age 5 and then reconnecting with him and moving to LA to be with him 10 years later. As with most genius musicians, there was a dark side to Ron Miller - his gambling - which son Mark describes: "Living with my father in LA was a dream and a nightmare.," but his fantastic musical legacy redeems any negativity.

Highlights of the evening included "Get Ready", "Dock of the Bay", "My Girl" nicely mixed with "Imagination", Michael Jackson's soulful "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing", and a gorgeous "God Bless the Child". "Pop's Medley" was a combo of Ron Miller's songs: "A Place in the Sun", "For Once in My Life" and "Touch Me in the Morning". Also on tap were some original compositions by Miller - Mark Arthur, that is - and terrific musical director Peter Smith at the keyboard: "Just You and Me", and "87th and King", a fond recollection of his south side neighborhood in Chicago. His encore "I Want to Come Back as a Song" by his dad shows Ron Miller's indelible attachment to his music, his very soul.

Backing up Miller in the 90-minute set were the brilliant musicians: Smith at the keys, Frank Abraham on bass, William Artope on trumpet, Adam Hawley on guitar, Jon Stuart on drums and Aaron West on sax. Liela Avila and fabulous Maiya Sykes provided backup vocals. Sykes really helped him rock "Ain't Nothin Like the Real Thing" to the rafters. Talk about soul searching, it was right there in the room in that incredibly rapturous voice!

Don't miss Mark A. Miller and his Soul Searching! He does a dynamite job of keeping the Motown era alive and consistently thrilling. Miller is in the process of producing a complete CD of the show, but in the meantime you can enjoy his EP Soul Searching available at CD baby.

To post a comment, you must register and login.