Al de Leon

When you think of house music vocalists, the first thing that comes to mind is a diva belting out the high notes. Yet one of the genre's best voices actually belongs to a man, Robert Owens, whose smooth delivery oozes soulfulness and balances the driving beats typical of dance music. Owens' voice is behind the anthems that defined house, from the Frankie Knuckles epic "Tears" to the chart-topping "I'll Be Your Friend." He traces his roots to Chicago's burgeoning scene of the mid-1980s, where he cut his teeth as a DJ. This is his first performance in Chicago in a few years, and he will grace the decks and sing over some of the tracks that made his voice synonymous with house music. Also on the bill is New York's Tortured Soul, a live band whose soulful music sounds equally impressive whether heard in a nightclub or a traditional concert venue. Composed of drummer/singer Christian Urich, keyboardist Ethan White, and bassist Jason Kriveloff, Tortured Soul incorporates jazz, seventies R&B and disco to produce a fresh take on house. Do yourself a favor and check out one of the scene's newest innovators and one of house music's living legends.

Robert Owens and Tortured Soul perform at Smart Bar, 3730 North Clark, (773)549-0203, on November 20.

(2004-11-17)

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