Reo, Ricky & George Varnado
By Craig Carter
Good
music and a good cause were the order of the night as Reo, Rick and
George Varnado reunited or an evening. They headlined a benefit concert
at the Club Green Meadows (7703 N.E. 72nd, Vancouver, Wash.) March 27,
for Reo's exwife who died tragically of cancer in January.
It was an evening of great music, ranging from traditional Mississippi
blues and Atlantic/Stax R&B, to some classic '70s style ballads, something
like the Stylistics' or the ChiLites' music. The band was tight and
professional and looked as though they were having a good time as well.
It seemed more like a private party than a concert and the friendly
atmosphere definitely added to the performance. The highlight of the
evening was a blues jam featuring some friends from the audience. It
was fun and refreshing to hear music that would probably be considered
out of place in today's more aggressive rap/hiphop world, but sounds
better than ever. Their versatility is perhaps their greatest strength.
They shift from one style to the next seamlessly. And Reo, the lead
singer, has a great voice, no matter what he's singing.
According to Myra Girod, of Myra Girod Productions, who put the benefit
together, the Varnados are just finishing up a gospel CD that they'd
hoped to have ready for release by the time of the show, but couldn't
quite get it done in time. Girod feels they have a good chance to hit
it big. "Snoop Doggy Dogg is their nephew, and they should be able to
use his connections in the music business to get their music heard."
If
the performance this writer saw is any indication, no one would bet
against them. Watch for more to come on this band.