No mere revivalist, singer-songwriter Lee Fields has been a steady fixture on the soul and R&B scenes since the mid ’60s, when he briefly joined Kool and the Gang before setting off on a prolific solo career. These days he writes and performs with his group The Expressions, a sprawling ensemble whose pulsing, horn-laden tracks nicely complement Fields’ urgent, impassioned vocal delivery. The band’s partnership with Brooklyn label Truth and Soul has proven fruitful, as evidenced by 2014’s heartfelt Emma Jean. Nashville-based soul-pop group Alanna Royale will open Thursday’s show with a similarly high-octane, dance-inducing performance.
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