Review: Legendary Earth, Wind & Fire came to party, and fans obliged

There was a nip of autumn chill in the air at Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville. But all it took was the perfect storm of Earth, Wind & Fire whipping through the grounds of the winery to warm the crowd attending Friday night's concert by the iconic R & B band.

Roaring onto the stage with a three-piece horn section, multiple drummers and percussionists, fiery guitars, otherworldly singers and one of the most amazing bass players ever to funk things up, the group wasted no time tearing through its stockpile of greatest hits from the 1970s and '80s — "Let's Groove," "Serpentine Fire," "Shining Star" et al.

There were none of the sexy dancing girls, pyrotechnics, flying pyramids or levitating musicians that marked Earth, Wind & Fire's shows back in the day. (Some of their spectacular effects were concocted by the late magician Doug Henning.)

Nor did the current band members sport the kind of garish, Afro-Vegas-Outer Space costumes that used to be an EW&F trademark.

But while the snazzy theatrics were fun, guess what? The group still puts out some of the most infectious, complex and exhilarating pop music imaginable without them.

Though founder-former leader Maurice White stopped touring with the group in the 1990s (for health reasons), EW&F is still in excellent hands. Celebrating 40 years since the group's formation, a few veteran members are keeping the flame and excitement alive on tour.

Yes, singer Philip Bailey can still shatter eardrums with his stratospheric vocal range. And the tireless bass player Verdine White, whose long locks and fringe-and-glitter chaps were the only remaining traces of glam, is still a demon player who kicks, jumps, struts and whirls across the stage, nonstop.

They are buttressed by a crew of younger musicians skilled enough to master the modern-jazz horn lines, high falsetto choruses and intricate layers of rhythm that make EW&F much more than your average boogie band.

Only a tree stump could resist dancing to the hook-laden R & B/disco/Afro-pop grooves on tunes like "September" and "Boogie Wonderland," and the giddy, wine-fueled crowd at the Chateau didn't need much prodding. At times the crowded lawn turned into one giant middle-aged disco mosh pit. (The band cooled things off now and then with flashy but more sedate instrumental jams.)

For fans of a certain age, it's hard not to feel a bit nostalgic about this highly influential band — not just for making such high-octane party music, but also for its sonic sophistication and creativity.

Though its influence on current artists (i.e., Jay-Z, Wyclef Jean and Usher, to name a few) is rampant, one longs for a new band half as musically imaginative and galvanic to bust up the charts and lead us out of the current R&B/hip-hop doldrums.

But in the meantime, there's still Earth, Wind and Fire, live and recorded, and we'll party hearty to that.

Misha Berson: mberson@seattletimes.com