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Massachusetts-based R&B and soul artist Jesse Dee played for students Thursday night at Norm’s in the Student Union at 7:00 P.M.
Assuming the role of lead vocalist and guitarist, Dee was joined by Matthew Joy on guitar, Jim Larkin on bass, and Matt “Pie” Beaulieu on drums. The group played host to the UNC Charlotte crowd Thursday before quickly packing up their instruments and heading over to The Evening Muse in downtown Noda for their second show that same night.
Influenced by soul legends Otis Redding, Same Cooke, Etta James, and Al Green, Jesse Dee began playing his own music out of what he terms as “music itself”. “I wanted to be able to attempt to create the same effect that other people had on me,” Dee explained. “Soul music has always hit me harder than any other kind of music,” he added.
Jesse Dee’s music has certainly tapped into his soulful and the passionate side; truly making his musical abilities stand out. His vocal range alone crosses over more than one octave and exudes his musical passion in every line.
In his fast-paced song “Slow Down,” Dee says, “at some point, we feel that we need to increase our velocity . . . we get going so fast that it seems we lose sight of the important things.” When he advises to “slow down, there isn’t any hurry now . . . everything will even out once you go and slow it down,” he makes his point with musical accompaniment, ending the verse with slow subtle music.
These small, clever marriages of his lyrics and the way he writes the music pervade his songs. Jesse Dee’s lyrics, however, can come off as clichéd. The ballad “Yet To Come” begins beautifully and gently with Dee pouring out a heartfelt lyrical rendition about a romantic interest he hopes to “someday, somehow, some way make [them] mine.”
The emotion in his singing is beautiful, having a very genuine feeling, but for this reporter, his lyrics could stand to be more creative. Dee’s performance Thursday, however, was fantastic. His down-to-earth personality matched the relaxed atmosphere of Norm’s very well, introducing himself to Norm’s by throwing himself immediately into a guitar rift, saying over the music, “If you can hear me playing, whether you’re in here or out there, I invite you to come in.”
While there was not a steady, large audience during his performance, Dee took it in stride by interacting with the audience. Between songs, Dee joked with various members of the audience, at one point telling someone who’d just sat down, “I was hoping you’d come” before resuming.
Every song he played, small audience or not, was energetic, honest, and raw. His vocals, the band’s performance as a whole, and his energy more than made up for a small lack of creativity in some of his songs.
If you think you might be interested in Jesse Dee’s music, it can be found on his website at http://www.jessedee.com/, and a free download of “Slow Down” is available as well. Jesse Dee’s new album “Bittersweet Batch” is also currently available wherever albums are sold.
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