IT’S a fairly basic recipe – take some local singers and two talented local musicians, then let them loose on songs from a genre.
Tom Roberts has been running these concerts at The Hub for a while now and they never fail to surprise.
It was songs from the genre of soul and Motown this time. Alongside musical director and pianist Gladstone Wilson and guitarist Rich Bates, the singers covered numbers by such names as Burt Bacharach, Jackie Wilson, Bill Withers, Stevie Wonder and Simon and Garfunkel.
Tom started the evening with a lively Mustang Sally, before handing the mic over to local singer Rachel Matthews, who performed I Say a Little Prayer and Walk on By.
Later in the evening she delivered two of the more memorable tunes, with technically beautiful readings of The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face and a show-stopping Bridge Over Troubled Waters.
Cliff and Jacquie Martin also featured, performing duets including You Are All I Need, Love Train and a spirited take on Jackie Wilson’s Higher and Higher.
Other duets featured Tom and Rachael performing Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, while Tom featured on the bluesy Bill Wither’s song Grandmother’s Hands.
The Son of a Preacher Man was also served up before the evening was finished by Cliff and Jacquie Martin duetting on Ben E King’s Stand by Me and Stevie Wonder’s Signed, Sealed, Delivered.
This was another evening giving a worthwhile showcase to local talent.