Smokey Robinson shares the love at L.A. gig

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - When

Smokey Robinson segued into a traditional pop segment at Saturday's Greek Theater concert, it was natural to expect a letdown. So many performers -- including

Linda Ronstadt and

Rod Stewart -- have covered pre-rock standards that the move usually seems like a way to mark time until a better idea comes along.

Increasing the trepidation, Robinson introduced his Frank Sinatra-era segment with a video interview that was more a transparent sales pitch for his new album, "Timeless Love," than a concert enhancement.

Despite those reservations, Robinson's trad-pop tribute worked in two important ways. First, his trademark falsetto adapted well to the material -- particularly Cole Porter's "Night and Day," which has such a linear melody that it requires a truly expressive artist to pull it off. Robinson's cooing trills and teasing melismas injected extra sonic activity into the piece and made it a highlight of the evening.

Second, the tribute helped couch Robinson's place in pop history. Like his ultramelodic peer Paul McCartney, Robinson is one of the few rock-era songwriters who held a real passion for the classic composers instead of writing them off as old school, and his huge body of successful songs has more melodic currency than most of his contemporaries.

Playing with a seven-piece band, three backing vocalists, two female dancers and a 12-member string section, Robinson reeled off an impressive string of tune-acious hooks, many of them sung back to him full force by a sold-out audience. Some, including "My Girl," "Get Ready," "Ooo Baby Baby" and "Being With You," still gain enough current airplay that it's likely he doesn't really need to work.

Thus the smile he evinced throughout the evening seemed genuine; it's tough to imagine anyone could be that successful, remain scandal-free and not be mostly joyful about life.

Of course, all that happiness threatens to devolve into sappiness, and Robinson had his share of that. When he declared himself a "lover of love," pranced around the stage in a white jumpsuit with a rhinestone belt and cuffs and worked over the women in the front rows with extra attention and kisses, the evening began to feel more like a cheesy supper club routine.

A reverent spotlight on songwriter-guitarist Marvin Tarplin, whose bluesy chording introduced a gospelly rendition of "Tracks of My Tears," helped to counter those cloying missteps.

Of course, so did Robinson's unique vocal work. With his pleading melodic suspensions, he's a master of tension and release, and even with the syrupy aspects of the show, you couldn't help but feel the love.

Ultimately, the presence of all those Smokey-penned hits next to "I Can't Give You Anything but Love" and "Fly Me to the Moon" provided a reminder, likely intended, of his place in history. "I Second That Emotion" may not be as complex as a Gershwin creation, but it's every bit as effective.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter