Singer and entertainer CeeLo Green has had some PR problems over the years. Twitter doesn’t seem to be the ideal venue for him. He’s admitted to having been a little unhinged in his youth. He may not have entirely outgrown that.
But if you’re able to bracket his personal life, the Goodie Mob member, Outkast collaborator, one-time vocal coach on TV’s “The Voice” and hit-maker behind Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy,” can be a pretty compelling pop titan, a man with an obvious sense of humor and a refreshing streak of mysticism. Green is a worthy heir to expressive soul vocalists like Al Green and Stevie Wonder. He’s another reason why Atlanta continues to register as a music capital, with its own style, independent from L.A. and New York.
Can-do anthems and self-help themes have been big in pop in recent years. Green’s vocals on the re-energized Goodie Mob’s 2012 single “Fight To Win” is a prime example of how a turbocharged, go-for-it jam should work; it’s like Tony Robbins with a beat.
CeeLo Green performs at the Alive@Five summer concert series at Columbus Park in downtown Stamford, Thursday, Aug. 11, at 5 p.m. Tickets are $15. stamford-downtown.com.
