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True Groove All Stars Showcase

Where: The Cutting Room Other details: It was a packed house last night at the candle-lit Cutting Room for good reason. In conjunction with the label's recent signing with The Orchard, True Groove Records hosted an all star showcase featuring some of its already-established and most promising artists. Led by the inexhaustible Tomás Doncker, the performance was a tag team effort of "Global Soul" proportions. While the overall energy was cohesive and continous, each artist provided a flavor all their own, truly displaying the diverse sound the label represents. Marla Mase, for example, provided a kick of '90s-esque fem-rock, while Heather Powell channeled Stevie Nicks not only with her flowing white dress and black lacy shawl, but also with her sultry, throaty croons lined with magic. Of course, the true all star was Doncker, who, flanked with over 10 ensemble musicians on stage at any given time, somehow made each strum of his guitar stand out above the sound of saxophones, drums, and trumpets to speak to the crowd (who appeared to be hanging on every note). The musical marathon infused the atmosphere with the upbeat energy of funk, even when things got a little blues-y. Rogue audience members who danced at the side of the stage all night certainly didn't stop when David Barnes began his heart-pouring harmonica solo, though it silenced the room to an eyes-closed, head-nodding, "feel that blues" appreciation. Things picked right back up when Doncker joined in, playing off the harmonica's sharpness with his reverberating strings and creating a coalescence of soulful sound with Barnes—a wordless duet made more powerful by their respective passion for their instruments. Between enthusiastic finger snaps from the audience and the occasional "WE LOVE YOU TOMÁS!" thrown out from the back of the room, we're sure we can speak for most when we say it was a night to remember.