Dwele

Solo R&B artists almost never play small Kansas City clubs, so for novelty’s sake alone, Dwele’s gig at the Grand Emporium deserves notice. The Detroit-born crooner possesses the type of booming voice that could easily reach the cheap seats at much larger venues, but his stage show places a refreshing focus on storytelling rather than costume changes and choreography. It’s stripped-down in a way that has nothing to do with scantily clad backup dancers. On his recently released Some Kinda … , Dwele reminisces warmly and serenades softly over jazz-infused, baby-makin’ backdrops. His delivery turns these quiet storms electric, even when smooth sax player Boney James makes an appearance. A live set rich with organic soul numbers should lead to slow dances and romance, though some fellas’ instantly Dwele-smitten dates might be too distracted with the man onstage to two-step. — Andrew Miller