It was a jam session12 years in the making. During the giant Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, Roots drummer Questlove surprised a few thousand fans by introducing reclusive R&B artist D’Angelo to the stage.
The singer, whose neo-soul albums Brown Sugar and Voodoo gained him a rabid audience, didn’t play any originals, but proceeded to jam through a 90-minute playlist that included songs from Jimi Hendrix, Parliament Funkadelic, Led Zeppelin, and the Beatles.
An acrimonious split with his management and trouble with his former label have only contributed to the singer’s sparse visits to the spotlight. But Questlove was fired up after the surprise Bonnaroo performance, which he said he arranged to prove to D’Angelo that the singer was still “in fighting shape.” The Late Night with Jimmy Fallon drummer is anxious for D’Angelo to release his new record, which Questlove played on.
It’s a good thing the artist seems to be getting back in the game—it would have only been a matter of time before his loving fans turned him into a hologram.
