Search - The !!!! Beat, Vol. 4: Shows 14-17 on DVD

The Soul Train of the Sixties rocks on!

Andre M. | Mt. Pleasant, SC United States | 11/08/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Legendary R&B DJ Hoss Allen's "The!!!Beat" is a godsend to Soul fans as it is one of the few shows of its kind that was (mostly) done live, shot in color, and was preserved (most of that era's Soul TV shows were local lip-synched affairs that are now lost, such as Charleston, SC's "Jump Time" or not publicly available like Columbia SC's Job Man Caravan").

But I digress, the Hossman, a well-liked white "honorary brother" in Soul circles, brings some mostly obscure regional talent and lesser-known (but NOT lesser-quality) sixties' soul acts to the fore here, such as New Orleans' Clarence "Frogman" Henry and country blues guitariist Gatemouth Brown. (A young Johnny Taylor also performs). The house band really rocks it too, and the black go-go dancers are quite charming.

With all of this good stuff, the main price of admission here is a then 58-year old Louis Jordan, the super-lunatic madman supreme of jazz comedy and sultan of storytelling and the saxophone with his Tympani 5 (and original drummer Chris Columbus). The GRANDfather of Soul looks far younger than his age and was as much a joy to behold as ever! In spite of his age, he was still doing wild dancing, expert sax playing, and magnificent singing and clowing to "Caldonia, GI Jive, Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying," and several others. Incidentally, the young lady who joins him in one number was his wife, Martha Weaver Jordan. This, and an earlier appearance on vol. 3 of this show, is probably the only known color footage of Louis Jordan.

So for a good seldom-seen example of sixties soul on DVD, and a precursor to Soul Train, this is a good place to go."