Let’s stay together and groove on the Ravinia lawn this summer with the smooth and silky vocals of Al Green! Rugged soul meets Motown polish in Al Green, whose music has bridged the gap between deep soul and smooth Philadelphia soul, incorporating elements of gospel with a tight beat, sexy backing vocals, and lush strings. The distinctive Hi Records sound that the vocalist and producer Willie Mitchell developed made Al Green the most popular and influential soul singer of the early ’70s, influencing not only his contemporaries, but also veterans like Marvin Gaye.
Robert Christgau declares Green to be the “finest vocalist rock & roll has ever known” and “a shifting amalgam of cream and grit, fluff and guts, feathery strings and power-packed beats, wayward promises and passionate truths.” Upon Green’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Natalie Cole praised Green’s unique style and expressive power: ”Al's voice—it bobs, it weaves … it gets you.”
