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BY ELOISE MARIE VALADEZ
Eloise.Valadez@nwitimes.com
219.933.3365 | Tuesday, December 02, 2008 | (No comments posted.)
Aaron Neville believes there's something magical about holiday songs. "They bring a good spirit to people. I always say I wish we could have that spirit all year long," said Neville, during a telephone interview on the eve of Thanksgiving.
The Grammy-winning singer will celebrate the sounds of the season during his show "Christmas with Aaron Neville and the Neville Quintet with Charles Neville" at 8 p.m. Dec. 6 at The Center for Performing Arts at Governors State University.
Neville said he's looking forward to bringing his solo show to the Midwest. The concert is part of his third annual holiday tour which kicked off the day after Thanksgiving in Massachusetts and ends in New Orleans Dec. 21.
In addition to holiday tunes and hymns, Neville's concert also will showcase songs from his eclectic music catalog.
"It's really going to be a mixture of all kinds of different stuff, because I have so many genres of music to pull from. We're also going to do the pop stuff, R&B, rock, gospel, doo-wop, country, you name it," he said. The show also stars his brother Charles, whom he calls the 'horn man.'
The New Orleans native, who's had great musical success as a member of his family's band, the Neville Brothers, and as a solo artist, recently returned home to Louisiana from Tennessee, where he was living since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
These days Neville calls Covington, La., home and plans to move into a new house right before Christmas.
He said he's in New Orleans almost every other day to visit his children, sister and brothers. (His wife Joel, whom he was married to for 48 years, died of lung cancer in January 2007).
"I have hope that New Orleans will come back. And I pray for the people that they can get their lives back together," he said. "It's still struggling to pick up. So much of New Orleans is still sitting there like it's just after the storm. It needs something done. But it's coming back slowly."
Strongly believing much still has to be done in his beloved NOLA, Neville and his famous brothers have done their part through the years to lend a hand to those who have lost homes, possessions and loved ones to Katrina. Many of the proceeds from their concerts and recordings have gone to help with hurricane relief efforts.
"If I was in a bad position, I'd wish somebody would help me. So, why not help, if you can," he said.
One of the Neville Brothers' standing concert dates has long been the New Orleans Jazz Fest and during spring of this year they celebrated their first performance there since the hurricane.
Neville has always had a great love of music and loves to perform.
"When you're performing, you get a chance to share your heart with the audience and get appreciation from them. And that's a great feeling," he said.
"And in the studio, you're creating something. It's like art work, like you're painting a picture. You hope that the listeners will get the same thing out of it that you're putting into it."
He said he's greatly enjoyed his duet work through the years, mentioning his hit collaboration with Linda Ronstadt during the 1980s.
"It's a respect thing when two people or two voices get together and intertwine. Linda Ronstadt always said she thought our voices were married. I enjoyed singing with her. It was magic and so easy to do with her," Neville said.
When the singer picks out music to listen to at home he enjoys a mix of artists.
"I listen to Barry White, Lou Rawls, Marvin Gaye and some of Beyonce's stuff and Toni Braxton," he said.
He thinks there are a lot of good contemporary artists out there but said, "The thing about the music today is some of it has got to be formula. It's got to sound like the last thing that was out. But you can hear the voice and tell the quality of what they're singing."
On the last "American Idol" competition he particularly admired the pure vocals of David Archuletta.
"He was my favorite. You could just close your eyes and listen to him and really hear his notes. He didn't have bad notes. He was right on," the singer said.
Among Neville's New Year's resolutions?
"I want to try to make it a better year than last year and do more and try to help in this world that we're living in. I think everybody should do that."
IF YOU GO
"Christmas with Aaron Neville and the Neville Quintet with Charles Neville"
When: 8 p.m. Dec. 6.
Where: The Center for Performing Arts at Governors State University, at Governors Highway and University Parkway, University Park.
Cost: $53 to $72.
FYI: (708) 235-2222.
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