Montreal based blues/ soul musician Cecile Doo-Kingue brought her audience to a 1970s sidewalk cafe in Paris or Montreal for her sassy show at the Slice, March 14.
She had approximately 30 people listening intently as she began to with the apt original “Is Anybody Listening.”
They all were hanging on every sultry, soulful note she sang and ever smooth, tear jerkingly beautiful note she played on guitar.
She sounded like a female Marvin Gaye, singing soulful melodies and cracking jokes with the audience and her band. Much of her material is in French, which she fit seamlessly into her set and sometimes within the same song.
She showed the blues is also the universal language of love by playing a lot of stellar guitar, while adding a few Hendrix licks and a whole lot of sexy soul.
She wound down her set with “Mama’s Kitchen,” from her CD Freedom Calling,” which she began by talking about being from Cameroon in Africa, where people with large bottoms are beloved.
She turned around and did a butt solo by slapping out a percussion solo on her own butt, smiling all the while.
Her second set was a little more experimental and jam powered. She had a lot of the audience dancing to the smooth grooves.