Leslie Odom Jr., the Tony- and Grammy-winning singer and actor, delivered an exceptional evening of music at the Strathmore Music Hall on Friday, May 3. The audience was captivated by every note of Odom’s voice.
Odom began his set with the classic “Fly Me to the Moon,” showcasing his confidence as a performer by singing offstage, and then walking on to applause. There was no voice-over announcement — just a man, his quartet, a stage, and an appreciative audience. Odom’s musical theater experience propelled his voice to hit every level inside the Strathmore venue.
The multitalented Odom performed other familiar standards like “Moody’s Mood,” “Autumn Leaves” and “Change is Gonna Come.” The latter classic he sang in the film “One Night in Miami,” in which Odom played the role of Sam Cooke, who is best known for that song.
Accompanied by a very talented quartet, Odom’s group included Chris Cadenhead on piano, Steve Walker on guitar, Eric England on bass, and Gene Coye on drums. Each musician was able to shine with solos. Further, Odom performed a few songs with either Cadenhead, his pianist, or Walker, his guitarist.
A few days before coming to the D.C. area, Odom was nominated for several Tony awards for acting in and executive producing the play “Purlie Victorious,” and on May 3, he gave a winning performance for the audience at Strathmore.