Photos and Review by Lou Montesano
Music lifts our spirits, and who can’t use a little spiritual uplift these days? The Campbell Brothers—Chuck, Darick and Phillip—know all about music as inspiration and religious experience. Growing up outside Rochester, New York, the brothers began playing drums and guitar in their local church before embracing the “sacred steel” of the Gospel tradition. Chuck and Darick are among the finest pedal and lap steel players in the world, with Phillip having moved to bass and electric guitar while his son Carlton plays drums.
Kicking things off in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, the Campbells took the stage at Bryant Park as part of Carnegie Hall’s Citywide Night of free music. Fans who came out to hear the Campbells’ high-energy mix of Gospel, soul, blues and R&B, but the sound of steel guitars also drew in passers-by to see what the excitement was about. Joined by Daric Bennett on bass and vocalist Denise Brown, it was a joyous affair, with songs like “Hell No, Heaven Yes” and “Don’t Let the Devil Ride” getting an audience of jaded New Yorkers on their feet—dancing, clapping and feeling the spirit. If two steel guitars weren’t enough, Canadian-born Jordan Officer, who was also on the bill, joined the Campbells to close things out, appropriately enough, with a soaring interpretation of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come.”
Highly respected musicians among their peers, The Campbell Brothers remain somewhat under the radar even after more than 20 years of playing professionally. Thank you to Carnegie Hall for furthering awareness of these worthy artists and for a great evening of live music.
—Lou Montesano
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