Geno Washington &
The Blues ?uestion – What’s In The Pot?
Picture: C+
Sound: C+ Extras: C- Concert: B-
Geno Washington was one of those great Soul vocalists that
never got to crossover like many of his contemporaries. Geno Washington & The Blues ?uestion
– What’s In The Pot? (1997) is a later 2001 concert by the R&B favorite
form his second home in England, where he has stayed since the 1960s when
serving as a U.S. G.I. overseas. He
comes out saying he is crazy, wants to act crazy, then jumps into the music.
The fact is that he still has the voice and energy to go a
few rounds with most singers half his age.
This is a shockingly consistent performance whose only flaw is that it
does not go on longer than its nearly 50 minutes in length. Though lacking any of his hits form the
past, the still-strong set includes:
1) Sneakers
2) Dust My
Broom
3) Rooster
4) Going
Down Slow
5) Gloria (yes,
the G-L-O-R-I-A one)
6) Spell
7) Everybody
8) Lucille
9) Hand
Jive
10) What I Say
He has some good showmanship and gets wild in amusing
ways, but the most important thing is the performance and he luckily has a
solid band of musicians to back him up and deliver as good as he gets. Geno Washington was a favorite of Dexy’s
Midnight Runners and that makes sense, as far as hitting hard with the songs
are concerned. This is one of the
better concerts on DVD to date.
The full screen image looks like it was taped in the PAL
format, and is not bad. The Dolby
Digital 2.0 Stereo has no surround information to speak of, so this is an
above-average presentation overall at best.
The few extras include stills, a biography and limited discography that
does not tell us about singles like Michael (The Lover), HI! Hi!
Hazel, (I Gotta) Hold On To My Love, Understanding, and Water. It also skips discussing his music for Jules
Dassin’s film Up Tight (1968).
Oh, and do not confuse him with Gino Washington, known for hits like Gino
Is A Coward from 1963. I do not
know what is in the pot or if that is even a double entendre, nor do I
care. This is a really good concert and
a pleasant surprise.
- Nicholas Sheffo
