| Live - Ronnie Milsap | |
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Reviewed by Jolene Downs
Ronnie Milsap has released a project that he has wanted to do for a long time, a live concert on DVD. The Ronnie Milsap Show is a highly energized performance, and Ronnie and his band have a great time onstage. He definitely gives his fans 110% with every show he does, and with this DVD you can catch a little of the Milsap Magic that kept Ronnie on top of the charts for almost 30 years. Not only do you get a little over 90 minutes of concert footage, you also get a 30-minute in-depth interview with Ronnie on a variety of subjects.
When Ronnie hits the stage, you can never tell what he has up his sleeve. For this project, he chose to film a show at The Grand Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi in January of 2002. The stage was huge and the lighting and sound were excellent for this type of project. Ronnie has a great band to back him up, and you can tell from onstage antics that they enjoy working together. When Ronnie hits the stage on the arm of Rhonda Hampton, one of his band members, the musical adventure begins.
Ronnie has 40 #1 Hits, and he shares several of them in this particular show. He opens with "Don't You Know How Much I Love You," which is a very upbeat song and is great to get the audience primed and ready for what might be next. He performs a medley of a few of his earlier number one's, starting and ending with what he calls his "theme" song, "What A Difference You've Made In My Life." He tells the audience that this particular song is one that best sums up how he feels about his fans. Ronnie is truly appreciative of his many loyal fans.
Ronnie does a few things in his live shows that you won't find on any album, which is another great reason to invest in this DVD. One such "extra" is a Doo-Wop set that he does with four of his band members. This is a set in which they perform what they call "street songs." They are done acapella, and are one of my favorite parts of the whole show. They do three songs, snapping their fingers with the rhythm and Warren Gower kills 'em with his deep bass. Throughout the entire concert, Ronnie entertains the audience with his terrific sense of humor. He draws the audience into his shows and makes them feel like part of the family.
For this show, Ronnie chooses to perform one of his older songs that is a big fan favorite, "The Future Is Not What It Used To Be." While this song never made it to the number one slot, it is a great ballad and very hard to find anymore since the album that it was on is long out of print.
Ronnie is venturing into the jazz side of the business, and he gave the audience a taste of what he can do. With a full orchestra backing him up, Ronnie sounds incredible on the American standards he chose to cover. My personal favorite was, "My Babe." He also sang "In The Wee Small Hours," "But Not For Me," and "My Funny Valentine." The audience roared their approval after the set was finished.
Another fun thing that Ronnie will often choose to include in his live show is the Piano Man Medley. In it, he covers some musical numbers from various artists known for their skill on the piano. Not only does he nail the music - he comes complete with his imitation of Ray Charles rocking around on the bench while playing "Georgia On My Mind." He also pounds the piano keys with his foot while doing Jerry Lee Lewis' "Whole Lot of Shakin' Going On" and "Lucille."
Ronnie sets his famous sense of humor aside to close out his show. He turns serious as he asks everyone to keep the President and armed forces in their thoughts and prayers as they fight to keep us all safe. Then, to a standing ovation and amid the roar of the appreciative crowd, Ronnie finishes the evening with "America the Beautiful."
Along with the live show, you can also catch a one on one interview with Ronnie on a variety of subjects. The interview was 30 minutes long and Ronnie was very candid on his answers and it was extremely interesting. This would be a great addition to anyone's musical library. It has lots of old favorites, some great new material and a few things that can only be found in The Ronnie Milsap Show on the road.
Song List:
Album cover, used with permission of Image Entertainment.
The Hits Medley
Doo-Wop Section
Piano Man Medley
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