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12:08:16 am Tavares Brothers to Join Local Girls for Motown Christmas Cabaret

Categories: Mattapoisett, Rochester

NOTE: Show has been rescheduled to Sunday, January 4, 2009 due to inclement weather.

With hits like "More Than a Woman" and "Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel" in their repertoire, it would only make sense that Tiny and Ralph Tavares of the acclaimed New Bedford-based Tavares Brothers group would often be surrounded by a group of females.

But on Sunday, December 21, the group of girls surrounding them will be decidedly younger and more diminutive than most. Brothers Tiny and Ralph will be joining the members of the Rochester-based Voices in Time on stage for a special holiday performance at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Route 6 in Mattapoisett beginning at 6:00 pm. Also joining them will be the Key Note Singers from the Dartmouth Council on Aging.

Dubbed a "Motown Christmas Cabaret," the show will include a variety of Christmas music performed "Motown style" along with some other non-holiday hits, including one or two Tavares classics according to brother Tiny.

"We'll be doing both Christmas and other songs, including one of our hits during the show," Tiny Tavares said. "It's pretty much based around Motown Christmas songs, although we were on Atlantic Records. But Tavares was from the same era when Motown was popular. It's still the Motown era as far as the kids are concerned. It will be more impromptu than anything else."

As one of six brothers of the locally-based Cape Verdean rhythm-and-blues group Tavares, Tiny recorded several gold and platinum records with his siblings in the 1970s and even captured a coveted Grammy Award for their work on the famous Saturday Night Fever motion picture soundtrack, performing their own take on the Bee Gees' "More Than A Woman." Prior to that high-profile gig, the band had already cemented its place in music history with several of their own signature hits include "Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel," "Check It Out" and "She's Gone," a number penned by the then-unknown writing duo of Daryl Hall and John Oates. Although Hall and Oates would later record their own version of the song in 1976, Tavares first took the song to number one on the R&B charts in 1974.

Tiny and his brother Ralph will be joining local talents from Rochester and Marion like Sara Achorn, Skyler Callahan, Jillian Jensen and Jessica Walther during Sunday's performance. As members of the non-profit Voices in Time ensemble, the girls are carrying on a 16-year tradition providing wholesome, old-fashioned entertainment to a variety of community, private and senior venues in the South Coast area. Comprised of 38 vocal students, Voices in Time is led by vocal coach Sharon Jensen of Rochester. The group participates in some 50 volunteer performances annually and has been busy visiting area nursing homes and performing special concert events this holiday season.

Tiny Tavares said his connection to Voices in Time is through his granddaughter, Lorae, who has been taking voice lessons from Ms. Jensen.

"My granddaughter is the connection there, she's been taking lessons from Sharon for the last three or four years," Mr. Tavares said. "Every now and then they'll ask me to participate in something with them. I did a Christmas show with them a couple of years ago. I enjoy getting together with the kids, they're all sweet and good-mannered. It's always a pleasure to get together and perform with them."

Although he's since broken off from performing with the Tavares group, Tiny said he still does occasional shows on his own and he sometimes joins his brothers on stage for local gigs. He noted they are slated to perform New Year's Eve at Twin Rivers Casino in Rhode Island and he might be inclined to join them for a number or two. These days, he's more interested in watching his son and granddaughter -- both of whom have inherited the family's love of music -- develop their own careers.

"You get a whole new perspective when you have family at home," Mr. Tavares said. "I'm proud of what they're doing and of the Voices in Time group. I'm always amazed at the amount of talent we have in this area."

The Motown Christmas Cabaret featuring Tiny and Ralph Tavares with Voices in Time will take place at 6:00 pm at the Mattapoisett Knights of Columbus Hall. Tickets can be purchased by calling Sharon Jensen at 508-494-5383. Seating is limited and no tickets will be available at the door. For more information about the group, please visit www.voicesintime.weebly.com.

By Kenneth J. Souza

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Comments:

Comment from: Tom Mourgos [Visitor] · http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/HallandOates/

12/18/08 @ 00:10

Just to clarify, Daryl Hall & John Oates released "She's Gone" in 1973. It was re-released in 1976 after "Sara Smile" became a hit.

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