The New York Pops: ‘If I Ain’t Got You: The Best of R&B”

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By Jack Quinn, Publisher

From the first moments on the Isaac Stern Auditorium stage, it was clear this was not a guest-artist novelty program but a meeting of artists already fluent in scale, style, and responsibility. Aisha Jackson and Avery Wilson arrived at Carnegie Hall with fully formed careers behind them—and with voices ready to meet the breadth and color of Steven Reineke’s orchestra head-on.

For Jackson, this concert marked her Carnegie Hall debut, and it was a thrilling one. Known to Broadway audiences for her luminous Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby and for a career that moves fluidly between musical theater, concert work, film soundtracks, and voiceover, she sang with a sense of arrival rather than introduction—her sound clear, warm, and emotionally legible even at its softest. Wilson returned to The New York Pops after first appearing with the orchestra at its 41st Birthday Gala in 2024, and he sang with the confidence of someone who already understands how to live inside this ensemble. A Grammy-nominated artist with roots in Broadway (The Wiz), R&B, and contemporary recording, he brought an easy authority to the stage—rhythmic, grounded, and unforced.

They were joined throughout by supporting vocalists Ramona Dunlap, Stephanie Fisher, and Melodie Ray, whose harmonies added depth and lift across the evening. Rather than functioning as background gloss, the trio often felt like an extension of the orchestra itself—thickening textures, reinforcing groove, and giving the arrangements added dimensionality without ever pulling focus.

Under Steven Reineke’s direction, The New York Pops sounded fully at home in this repertoire—flexible, rhythmically alive, and alert to the singers’ phrasing. The program unfolded exactly as listed, allowing the evening to build its own momentum, song by song.

Barry White – “Love’s Theme”
The concert opened in that unmistakable space where “let’s get it on” isn’t spoken, only implied—lush strings and slow-burn sensuality, music that doesn’t hurry because it already owns the room. The orchestra sounded velvety and expansive, strings blooming outward while the rhythm section kept everything relaxed and unforced.

Nickolas Ashford / Valerie Simpson – “You’re All I Need to Get By” (Aisha Jackson, Avery Wilson)
A song built on the idea that “we can make it if we try,” it arrived less as a declaration than a shared understanding. The orchestra leaned into warmth rather than weight, strings cushioned by gentle brass, giving Jackson and Wilson room to meet each other without vocal competition.

Nickolas Ashford / Valerie Simpson – “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing” (Aisha Jackson, Avery Wilson)
There was no push here, no attempt to sweeten what already works. The Pops played with clarity and restraint, clean articulation and softened edges allowing the duet to settle naturally.

Gary Jackson / Raynard Miner / Carl Smith – “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher” (Avery Wilson)
Here the promise is physical—keeps lifting me. The orchestra snapped into a buoyant groove, brass bright and propulsive, the rhythm section locked in as Wilson rode the upward momentum with ease.

Gloria Jones / Clay McMurray / Pam Sawyer – “If I Were Your Woman” (Aisha Jackson)
A song shaped by longing and conditional love. Jackson approached it with restraint, letting the ache surface gradually. The orchestra shaded the moment with darker colors—muted brass, hushed strings—holding the tension steady beneath her.

Gerry Goffin / Carole King – “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” (Aisha Jackson)
Jackson sang it plainly, without reach. The Pops stayed full but controlled, strings supporting the line rather than swelling around it.

I Hear a Symphony: Symphonic Sounds of Diana Ross (arr. Steven Reineke)
“Stop in the Name of Love” / “Touch Me in the Morning” / “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”
The orchestra moved cleanly between urgency, lyric warmth, and uplift—tight rhythmic snap giving way to sheen and then expansion. Reineke’s hand kept the transitions fluid and unfussy.

Al Green / Willie Mitchell / Al Jackson, Jr. – “Let’s Stay Together” (Avery Wilson)
That quiet plea—stay—was delivered without strain. The Pops settled into a silken groove, strings floating, rhythm section understated, leaving space rather than filling it.

Al Cleveland / Renaldo Benson / Marvin Gaye – “What’s Going On” (Avery Wilson)
The question was allowed to stand on its own. The orchestra played with clarity and restraint, unfolding the lines deliberately and without emphasis.

Nickolas Ashford / Valerie Simpson – “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” (Aisha Jackson, Avery Wilson)
The phrase landed as promise rather than climax. Brass rang cleanly, strings lifted the line, and the duet carried the momentum forward without overstatement.

Intermission

Al McKay et al. – “September Celebration!”
A rush of recognition—do you remember. Tight horn punches and an elastic rhythm section pulled the room back in immediately, the orchestra sounding crisp and energized.

Ron Miller / Orlando Murden – “For Once in My Life” (Aisha Jackson)
Jackson framed the song as resolve rather than wish. Bright strings and nimble winds kept the sound buoyant, never sentimental.

Rod Temperton – “Rock with You” (Avery Wilson)
The Pops leaned into precision over gloss. Clean syncopation and softened edges let Wilson glide through the line without pressure.

Prince – “I Wanna Be Your Lover / Kiss” (Avery Wilson)
Lean textures, punchy brass, sharp rhythmic focus. The orchestra matched the songs’ urgency without excess weight.

John Stephens / Will Adams – “Ordinary People” (Aisha Jackson)
Jackson delivered the line directly, without framing. The orchestra pulled back, transparent strings and minimal shading keeping the space clear.

Alicia Keys – “If I Ain’t Got You” (Aisha Jackson)
The Pops sounded warm and expansive, strings unfolding slowly beneath the vocal, giving the song room to land rather than crest.

David Foster / Linda Thompson – “I Have Nothing” (Avery Wilson)
Wilson met the song head-on. Full-bodied strings and measured brass rose with him, supporting without pressing.

Mariah Carey / Walter Afanasieff – “Hero” (Aisha Jackson)
Textures stayed rounded and patient, the orchestra allowing the arc to build without urgency.

Lionel Richie – “Endless Love” (Aisha Jackson, Avery Wilson)
The evening closed in balance. Strings widened the frame, rhythm gently underlined the pulse, and the duet met without display.

By the end, what lingered wasn’t simply the span of eras covered, but the sense of collective celebration—voices and orchestra moving together through music that has lived many lives and still knows how to fill a hall. Under Steven Reineke’s direction, The New York Pops didn’t just support these songs; they inhabited them, giving each its own color, weight, and breath.

The New York Pops: “If I Ain’t Got You: The Best of R&B” (February 13, 2026)

Carnegie Hall

Stern Auditorium/Perlman Stage, 881 Seventh Avenue at 57^th Street, in Manhattan

For tickets, Carnegie Charge at 212-247-7800 or visit http://www.NewYorkPops.org

Running time: 110 minutes including one intermission