Leslie Odom Jr is a true showman.
Then again, I really should have expected an explosive performance. Eleven years on from first stepping onto the stage as Aaron Burr in “Hamilton”, Odom has had plenty of time to hone his dramatic craft.
Though the majority of the crowd had clearly gathered at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre out of love for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical, Odom’s appeal is certainly not tethered to it. He showcased his versatility over a two hour set, gliding between Great American Songbook classics, 60s soul hits, his original material, and yes, a few “Hamilton” show tunes.
Sinatra’s “Fly Me To The Moon” opened the night. Odom, cloaked in smoke and blue light, was backed by a talented jazz quartet that perfectly complemented his style. He is a singular vocalist, blending power and smoothness with ease. There were plaintive, evocative ballads like “Autumn Leaves”, alongside jazz standards like Louis Armstrong’s “I Married An Angel”. Surely honed over decades on stage, Odom has a striking ability to inhabit the music of those he covers. On the latter track, he broke into a scat section that summoned the ghost of Armstrong himself.
Odom is equally impressive when performing his own compositions. They are more understated than you might expect from a theatrical performer. That said, his higher-octane tracks like “Go Crazy” bring a rich, groovy energy. He dedicated “Loved” to his young children, Lucy and Able, and spoke eloquently about fatherhood. Throughout the night, Odom came across as genuine and quick-witted. At one point, he recalled crowdfunding his first solo album in the wake of “Hamilton”:
“We want to make the kind of music Nat King Cole would be making today,” he remembered telling prospective backers. “We had no idea what that meant, but it got us the money.”
I cannot claim to be an avid fan of musicals — I was among the “eight people here”, as Odom joked, who had not listened to the “Hamilton” soundtrack — but even I could appreciate his powerful performances of “Alexander Hamilton” and “The Room Where It Happens”. Unleashing his vocal range, he became enveloped in every number as he twirled around the stage. I can honestly say that I have very rarely seen an audience so utterly enraptured. His standing ovation was lengthy and thoroughly deserved.
Yet it was Odom’s interpretation of another American icon that truly astounded me. In 2020, he portrayed soul supremo Sam Cooke in Regina King’s film “One Night in Miami…”. Towards the end of the concert, he performed three of Cooke’s most cherished tracks, beginning with “You Send Me” and “Bring It On Home To Me”. Following a delicate intro from guitarist Steven Walker, Odom then delivered a spine-tingling rendition of “A Change Is Gonna Come”.
Once again, his impression of the Mississippi crooner verged on uncanny. To take one of the most beautiful, powerful, and storied songs in the American canon and do it such immense justice is a serious feat. It was a privilege to hear a talent like Odom take on a song that Cooke himself performed live only once after Bobby Womack remarked that it “sounded like death”.
It was a song that, given the week America has just experienced, felt entirely appropriate.
