SPILL LIVE REVIEW: ADRIAN YOUNGE @ LEE’S PALACE, TORONTO

ADRIAN YOUNGE

@ LEE’S PALACE, TORONTO

MARCH 9, 2025

Producer, composer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Adrian Younge brought his Something About April Tour to Toronto’s Lee’s Palace for a sold-out performance of cinematic, neo-jazz fusion. Backed by a 10-piece orchestra, and with an opening DJ set by Jason Palma, Younge’s performance made for an incredible night of post-genre music that is certain to be a highlight among the ongoing concert series in celebration of 40 years of Lee’s Palace.

“I have one question for y’all” Younge stated as he walked out to face the sold-out audience, “What are you expecting from tonight?” It was a fair question. Younge has had a truly impressive career as a solo artist, composing film scores, and producing albums from the likes of Roy Ayers, Tony Allen, and, most recently, Ebo Taylor, among many, many more, alongside A Tribe Called Quest’s Ali Shaheed Muhammad for his label, Jazz Is Dead. As the crowd laughed, someone near the front responded, “greatness”. While Younge would laugh that response off, greatness was, perhaps the best way to describe his set. Younge would lead the band on bass, as he was joined by another eight musicians, including drums, keys, guitar, trumpet, tenor sax, violin, and viola. While largely instrumental, Loren Oden would join the band as a guest vocalist for a number of songs with a spectacularly soulful vocal deliver that could recreate eras long gone with a warm timbre and a stunning falsetto.

While the first couple of songs would be plagued by sound issues, Younge and his band seamlessly recovered for an absolute odyssey of a musical experience. Younge would perform a career spanning set that included songs from his body of work with Jazz Is Dead – including a moving tribute to Roy Ayers, who passed last week – his 2009 soundtrack, Black Dynamite, and is solo material, with a strong focus on his trilogy of albums, Something About April, the conclusion of which is expected to drop on April 18^th. The result was a sound that teetered between jazz, funk, soul, and, at times, even hip-hop all performed masterfully by an incredibly tight band. Without a doubt, however, the highlight of the night was the solo section, where Younge gave the chance for most of the ensemble to shine as they ripped a solo over a groove from the rhythm section. This culminated with an exceptional trumpet solo, and a sax solo that incorporated a call and response section with the audience that continued until we simply couldn’t keep up with the saxophonist.

Younge’s creative journey remains inspiring. While taking moments throughout the night to share his message and encourage others to follow their own ambitions, it was clear that every iteration of Younge’s career remains an exciting facet of unbridled artistry. His performance at Lee’s Palace exemplified this as he took a sound popularised by the likes of The Dap-Kings and Menahan Street Band and made it entirely his own. Greatness indeed.

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