True North Aretha Franklin tribute event turns Aberdeen's Music Hall into soul heaven
A MAGNETIC tribute to Aretha Franklin featuring Emeli Sandé, Mica Paris and Georgia Cécile was the crowning glory of 2022's True North Festival.
In a show on Sunday, September 25, the trio of singers – along with a world class backing band – wrapped the packed Music Hall up in a blanket of sublime soul music.
The evening was competing with a George Ezra arena show but was certainly not the second-best show in Aberdeen that night.
True North's curated tribute concerts have been a major draw for a number of years, and towering soul queen Aretha Franklin was this year's subject of adoration.
The Music Hall's fresco, above the Henry Willis Organ's pipes, was lit up orange before the band took to the stage and True North was projected onto the ceiling.
Despite having one of Scotland's best pipe organs, the Music Hall had far better pipes on display that night.
The talent of the musicians on stage immediately stuck out from the first bar played, before first featured singer Georgia Cécile kicked into 1968 track The House that Jack Built.
With a rich, charismatic voice, Cécile put the entire venue at ease and made for a fantastic presence on stage.
A huge-voiced alto, she was capable of warm, effortless slides right to the top of her range at a moment's notice.
The next offering for the audience was downtempo bluesy ballad Drown in My Own Tears.
Laser sharp, the band had by this point settled into a pocket they would not abandon until the final bow.
The secret to the night, besides staggering vocal chops, was how immense horn parts played off against backing vocals from Scottish powerhouse trio Little Acres.
Basking in applause at the song's close, Cécile handed over to perhaps the night's biggest draw.
She said: "I'm delighted to welcome to the stage one of Aberdeenshire's own – Emeli Sandé."
With applause finding an even higher plateau for the Alford pop legend, her characterful voice gleamed on Until You Come Back to Me.
It was a surprisingly short first burst for Sandé, but she made a massive impact before leaving the stage by saying: "To take us through I'd like to introduce someone that it is a massive honour to work with, the massive soul legend Mica Paris."
Taking the stage, Mica Paris said: "I am so, so honoured to be here it is so nice to be here and I was so fortunate to have my really good mate Emeli to come and be here tonight.
"It's just always nice when artists can share the stage and there's no ego, we just want to touch you.
"Before we even kick off, can we give it up to the band?"
The night's first truly iconic Aretha Franklin song followed – Paris's version of Say a Little Prayer.
Her voice was incredible, an auditory sledgehammer that sounded like a thousand saxophones.
Little Acres beamed with pride at their essential role during this track, serving the sound perfectly and providing the perfect foil for Paris during a call and response gospel ending.
Until this point in proceedings, the crowd at the Music Hall had more of a theatre than a gig feel.
That was until Mica Paris made it perfectly clear that Aberdeen was allowed to get into the spirit.
She said: "Are we going to move now Aberdeen?"
Given permission, the room shot up from their seats when faced with foundational Aretha track Think.
Not a soul sat down during the song, and it marked a massive moment of catharsis and joy.
After the intermission, Cécile came back to the stage for Do Right Woman Do Right Man.
The rendering boasting beautiful held notes on the hammond organ, with huge vocal lines which seemed to freeze in the air, before warming up with vibrato.
In a left turn, but not an unpleasant one, Sandé returned to belt out her top hit Next To Me.
The take the band put forward of the track was inspired, with meaty baritone sax blending with bass guitar line to give a massive bottom end grunt to the song.
Sandé seemed to relish the opportunity to front such a cracking band and seemed overwhelmed to be doing so on home turf.
Addressing the crowd, she said: "Thank you so much. It's such an amazing feeling to be home and playing in the Music Hall.
"This is where my musical journey started, as I sang here with the Alford school choir when I was little.
"I think my primary school music teacher Morag is here, actually.
"It really is a full circle now and it's so exciting to be coming back and playing here.
"So thank you so much Aberdeen for playing such a big part in my story."
Paris then returned to the reins for 1972 track Rocksteady, before the song everybody needed to hear.
Warming up the room with a false start, the version of Respect that followed was exceptional.
Carrying the age-old tune with new vitality, the band showed off their wild pocket again, pushing the track out with staggering stopping power.
The middle section, with a horn break and a beautiful rhodes line, was intoxicating and invoked instant chills.
Paris was an amazing bandleader that night and assertive in indicating exactly how the band should stop, go, loosen and constrict.
Organic and spontaneous, the results were extremely gratifying and a fine testament to Aretha's own skill at leading bands into battle.
Mica Paris throwback track My One Temptation held up surprisingly well against the solid diamond Aretha tunes.
The crowd appreciated and respected the differences between the bodies of work and gave Paris the chance to express her own story alongside paying tribute.
After the rousing version of the track, which had the crowd completely sold, she said: "I want to move to Aberdeen.
"There's a lot of love up here and I'm going to miss it."
You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman was incredibly beautiful and whip-crack sharp, and extended rave up Jump To It, from Aretha's forgotten 1980s period, brought the party atmosphere to its highest point.
The two tracks laid the foundation for the night's climax, a team effort on Oh Happy Day, with Cécile, Sandé and Paris coming together for the first time all night.
Trading off over the gorgeous backing band, the quality of music on display probably could not be surpassed anywhere in the world that night.
Marking True North Festival's end for another year, you could be forgiven for thinking that the concert might have been too good.
Because, after all, what can they do to top this?
Full Setlist
1) The House That Jack Built (With Georgia Cécile)
2) Drown in My Own Tears (With Georgia Cécile)
3) Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do) (With Emeli Sandé)
4) I Say A Little Prayer (With Mica Paris)
5) Bridge Over Troubled Water (With Mica Paris)
6) People Get Ready (With Mica Paris)
7) A Change Is Gonna Come (With Mica Paris)
8) Mamma Said (With Mica Paris) (Mica Paris song)
9) Think (With Mica Paris)
10) Do Right Woman, Do Right Man (With Georgia Cécile)
11) Next to Me (With Emeli Sandé) (Emeli Sandé song)
12) Clown (With Emeli Sandé) (Emeli Sandé song)
13) Rock Steady (With Mica Paris)
14) Respect (With Mica Paris)
15) Amazing Grace (With Mica Paris)
16) My One Temptation (With Mica Paris) (Mica Paris song)
17) (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (With Mica Paris)
18) Jump to It (With Mica Paris)
19) Oh Happy Day (With Mica Paris, Georgia Cécile and Emeli Sandé)
