When Philip Bailey and his famed falsetto voice joined Earth, Wind & Fire in 1972, he told band mates Maurice and Verdine White it was on one condition: That he was joining the best band in the whole world.
"Even though we've accomplished more than we could've ever dreamed almost 50 years ago, we still look forward to presenting the art form with the same sense of excellence and excitement and cutting edge that we did back in the '70s," Bailey says. "Because we don't take people for granted. We've always been of the mindset that it's quite a privilege to play music, and for people to spend their hard-earned money to come to concerts or buy your records. So we're in the same appreciative mindset that we were 50 years ago."
FAQ
Earth, Wind & Fire
WHEN — 7:30 p.m. May 17
WHERE — Walmart AMP in Rogers
COST — $42-$66.50
INFO — 443-5600, waltonartscenter.org
FYI — To support Bailey’s foundation, Music Is Unity, visit musicisunity.org.
The music icons bring their blend of funk, jazz, pop, soul and R&B to the Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion in Rogers on May 17. It's not as part of a new tour, Bailey points out, because they've basically been touring forever. With nearly two dozen albums of material to choose from, fans may be worried they might not hear their favorite tunes. But EWF isn't that kind of band, Bailey assures.
"The music has become part of the soundtrack of people's lives. They can remember where they were, what they were doing, the people they were around and the experiences they had based on listening to so many of our songs. So, you want to make sure you give them those, that they're able to share those memories with the music," he says of the coming show.
Outside of the musical excellence and expected boogieing, audiences can also feel good about attending an EWF show because of Bailey's foundation. Proceeds from the ticket sales benefit Music Is Unity, founded by Bailey in 2007 to help youths aging out of the foster care system who have an interest in the music business.
"In some of our cities, we invite youth to come who are interested in careers in show business, and we bring them to our sound checks and introduce them to the many different facets of our operation," he explains of the foundation's mission to unify people. "Music is one of those magical, powerful things that connects us all and speaks to our hearts. It's one of those things that, as we try to label it or put it in categories, it always defies all the odds and breaks the boundaries and reaches across the great divide and brings people together, puts smiles on their faces."
That concept of people coming together through music has also manifested regularly in Bailey's personal life and in his solo music outside of EWF. His 11th and latest solo project, "Love Will Find A Way," out June 21, is yet another testament to the inspiring potential of cross-genre collaboration. Bailey himself has made guest appearances on other artists' albums, tours and projects consistently throughout his career, and for his latest album, names like Chick Corea, Christian McBride, Kamasi Washington, Bilal, Casey Benjamin and will.i.am assembled to return the favor.
"It really was a dream come true, and I was so thrilled and humbled," Bailey enthuses. "I mean, you've got to understand that all these guys are the A-listers in jazz and in music, so for me to have them come alongside me and contribute to the project, solely because of their admiration and respect for me and the music that we've done over the years, was quite humbling. I was very, very happy.
"We were in the throes of all the political and social and economic unrest, and we needed a positive shot in the arm," he explains of the self-funded album. Without being beholden to a label or even to a role in EWF, Bailey says he had the freedom to take his time and really create a work that spoke to the moment. "We chose the kind of songs that helped people get through struggles in different eras."
The chance to explore those other creative arenas then comes full circle as it reinvigorates Bailey's contributions to Earth, Wind & Fire.
"I've always been of the mindset that everything is connected," he muses. "Your evolution, your growth, spiritually, intellectually, psychologically, musically, socially -- it's all very connected. And so, for me, it's always been about reaching and looking for and creating opportunities to evolve, to grow."
NAN What's Up on 05/12/2019