Robert Lee Coleman is the distillation of the cool 70s soul style that born out of Macon, GA. Playing for James Brown and Percy Sledge for many years, Robert has all the chops and deep groove of a genuine pro. In January the Music Maker Blues Revue (including Robert Lee) played a showcase at Webster Hall for globalFest. I recall Bob Boilen, the creator of NPR’s premiere music show All Songs Considered being in the front row when Coleman stepped out to play his set wearing a bright red pin striped suit. When Coleman comes on stage he has the look of a prize fighter entering the ring with only one thing on his mind, a 1st round knockout. Bob Boilen recognized this Coleman’s intensity and getup and immediately exclaimed,”Whoa!”. If there was one word to describe Coleman’s performance Mr. Boilen nailed it. That performance garnered a feature on All Songs Considered’s review of globalFest.

— Corn Lewis