The smooth and vocally seductive Mr. Woo, Woo

Fri, Apr 10th 2015, 12:46 AM

effrey Osborne has been in the music industry for more than four decades, but at the recent 10th Annual Jazz in The Gardens (JITG) music festival in Miami, Florida, the soulful singer with the smooth, yet darkly seductive vocals that made him a fixture of the 80s pop and R&B charts showed that he's still got it.

Osborne who some refer to as the "Mr. Woo Woo" took to the stage at the Sun Life Stadium grounds as a part of Men of Soul (Peabo Bryson and Freddie Jackson) on the first sold-out day in the history of the event. Approximately 42,000 festival-goers attended the Saturday's show.

In its initial year, JITG attracted roughly 1,800 patrons. In the 10th year of the fast growing jazz and R&B music festival, the two-day total broke the festival record with 73,000 in attendance. It was a performance Osborne appreciated being able to do as it was a setting he said that is not gotten too often.

"Very seldom do you get to stand in front of thousands and thousands of black people, so this is an unbelievable venue for a singer," Osborne told The Nassau Guardian after his JITG performance. "If you like to sing, that's where you want to be -- out on that stage with all those thousands of people."

Performing live gets him juiced.

"[It's] one of the most incredible feelings you'll ever have. I like singing live. I like recording in the studio, but singing live to me is what makes me go. I like to give and I like to feel it come back from the audience. So a venue like this, any singer that likes to sing should dream [of] and want to be on that stage."

While he has had decades at the microphone, having begun his singing career in 1969, with the funk and soul group called Love Men Ltd. which moved to Los Angeles in 1970 and changed its name to L.T.D., Osborne encourages youngsters who have the dream that he once had of getting into the industry to go in with confidence.

"I think the most important thing is confidence, because you get doors closed in your face so many times you cannot take no for an answer. If you feel like you're good at what you do you have to be persistent," he said.

Osborne was originally brought on as the drummer to L.T.D., but eventually became the lead vocalist. After more than 10 years with the band he pursued a solo career that produced a number of hits. He boasts an impressive body of work that includes songs like "All the Love in the World" and "Love Power" both songs featuring Dionne Warwick, "Baby, It's Cold Outside" featuring Chaka Khan, "Don't You Get So Mad", "Wings of Love" featuring Al Jarreau, Holding on (When Love Is Gone) and "Love Ballad" both featuring L.T.D., "On the Wings of Love", "Only Human", "Stay With Me Tonight", "We're Going All the Way" and "You Should Be Mine (The Woo Woo Song).

And everyone familiar with his work has their favorite Jeffrey Osborne song. Osborne's favorites are those he considers career songs -- "Love Ballad" with L.T.D.; and his solo "On the Wings of Love". The one that he loves performing more than any other song is "Love Ballad" -- a song he says he never gets tired of.

"I love the melody, the lyrics ... and it is sentimental because it was like our first big hit for L.T.D., so it meant a lot. But it's a great song. I love the song," he said.

Looking back at his body of work and at the body of work that's out there today, he said it would be hard for him to choose a favorite current artist due to the fact that music has changed so much. But he did say there are a lot of great performers out there today.

"I think most of the artists today are more like stylists. They have their style and they do that incredibly well, not like back in the day when you had singers that could sing anything -- no matter what you put in front of them, they sang. But there are some great singers out there who are doing their thing."

Pressed, he had to go with Beyonce on the female side whom he said is "incredible" and has the whole package. On the male side he went with Johnny Gill who he said has been like a little son that he has raised. He also tipped his hat to John Legend.

"John Legend has his own sound, so I like that about him. It took me a minute, because I wasn't really into it at first, but now I appreciate he has his own sound and I appreciate that."

He also praised Sam Smith who he said is one of the better vocalists he has heard today, who he said he thinks is very talented. As to which artist he would like to work with if he could be granted a wish, on the veteran side he said it would probably be Gladys Knight, with whom he said he has talked about working together, but that the opportunity never arose. On the youthful side, the music veteran said he is not in the position to choose and would sing with any of the youngsters that want to put him on their record.

"As veteran artists, we don't get the choice. It's on them to call you, so I'll gladly sing. I could use a little revitalization."

Osborne says he would encourage anyone wanting to sing to learn about the trade of singing in which he said there are many opportunities. He said young artists should ensure they are able to sight-read as it opens up doors.

"There is money to be made without being an artist. You don't have to be an artist to be successful in this business, so learn to sight-read and song writing," he said.

On a daily basis, the crooner says he plays golf and has a celebrity golf tournament in his hometown of Providence, Rhode Island which Earvin "Magic" Johnson hosts and in which Smokey [Robinson], the O'Jays and New Edition plays.

"For me right now, what makes me feel good is giving back," said the 67-year-old. "I'm able to give money to a bunch of charities on Rhode Island where I was born and raised." But he is ready to do another record. He does not have the material for that record though.

"I get creative when a deal comes along ... that gets me going, but I have been writing -- but not for an album," he said.

Osborne was joined on the JITG stage this year by a stellar line-up that included Maxwell, Erykah Badu, R. Kelly, Toni Braxton, Run DMC, Brian Culbertson, Sheila E., JITG All Stars Ronnie Laws, Roy Ayers, Lonnie Liston Smith and Tom Browne.

The event also drew celebrities including actors Bryshere Y. Gray and Jussie Smollett, who star as Hakeem and Jamal, respectively, on the new, red-hot, Fox television series "Empire." They were among several notables who made on-stage cameo appearances, including reality TV star Angela Simmons, J. Anthony Brown, co-host of "The Tom Joyner Morning Show," and Sybrina Fulton, founder of Trayvon Martin Foundation and mother of Trayvon Martin.

In response to the popularity of the festival, the City of Miami Gardens added two events to the JITG Weekend" The Women's Impact Conference and Luncheon which included an Author's Lounge and address by Omarosa Manigault; and the Opening Night Party which featured the DMC Band and a comedy show hosted by "The Rickey Smiley Morning Show" crew.

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