We Got This *

Personnel: Chuck Brown (vocals, guitar); "Lil Benny" Harley (vocals, trumpet); Cherie Mitchell (vocals, keyboards); K.K. Donelson, Andre "Whiteboy" Johnson (vocals); "Blazin" Bryan Mills (saxophone, keyboards); Brad Clements, Marlon Winder (trumpet); Greg Boyer (trombone); Karlston "Ice" Ross (bass guitar); Kenny Gross (drums); Maurice C. "Mighty Moe" Hagans (percussion).
Photographer: John Shore.
Chuck Brown is to go-go what George Clinton is to P-Funk: the iconic godfather of the musical style his name is synonymous with. And while go-go never went as far as it could have commercially -- unlike hip-hop, go-go never made the transition from a local phenomenon to a huge international phenomenon -- it maintains an enthusiastic cult following after all these years. Brown's die-hard followers will find a lot to appreciate on We Got This, a three-disc set that includes a 20-minute studio EP/CD, a live audio CD, and a live DVD (the live audio CD and the live DVD focus on the same concert, which took place at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C.). While the new studio material is enjoyable, the main reason to acquire We Got This is the live show -- which certainly cannot be accused of lacking variety. At the 9:30 Club, Brown's rock-solid band performs everything from Beyonc Knowles' "Single Ladies" to Kool Moe Dee's "Do You Know What Time It Is" to some jazz standards, including Earle Hagen's "Harlem Nocturne," Lionel Hampton's "Midnight Sun," Duke Ellington's "It Don't Mean a Thing," and "Moody's Mood for Love" (the King Pleasure/Eddie Jefferson-associated vocalese response to saxophonist James Moody's 1949 recording of Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields' "I'm in the Mood for Love"). But the fact that Brown's festive 9:30 Club gig incorporates jazz, blues, and hip-hop and includes songs from different musical eras doesn't mean that the go-go aesthetic is compromised; go-go is always the main ingredient, and Brown and his colleagues sound quite focused no matter how much they keep the audience guessing. Surprisingly, the only disappointing part of the 9:30 Club set is a two-minute performance of "Bustin' Loose" that is too brief for its own good; Brown's best-known song should have been savored, not rushed through and treated like an afterthought. But all things considered, We Got This is a release that die-hard go-go enthusiasts will be happy to add to their collections. ~ Alex Henderson