POP MUSIC REVIEW : Taped Tracks Weaken Wiltern ‘Holiday’

Most artists invariably look pretty silly singing to taped instrumental tracks. So such singers as Mary J. Blige, Blackstreet, Immature and Shanice were doomed from the start of Sunday’s second annual “Holiday Cooldown,” an R&B; extravaganza at the Wiltern Theatre.

At least this show, sponsored by KKBT-FM, was to benefit a worthy cause-- My Friend’s Place, a resource center for homeless kids. And you really had to give the artists the benefit of the doubt, realizing that most would have come across much better backed by a live band.

The evening’s cattle-call approach also operated against anyone’s making a significant impact. The limit was four songs, and following their brief performances the artists were shuffled offstage to make way for awkward patter sessions, with hosts Barry White and Karyn White bantering with the KKBT deejays.

Actually, there’s an art to singing to backing tracks, but most of these singers didn’t seem to have a clue about it. They were constantly ahead of or behind the beat.

The members of Immature, who are in their early teens, fared the worst, engaging in a game of tag with the beat--and never quite catching up to it. The vocal group Blackstreet, which has the big hit “Before I Let You Go,” and the female group Changing Faces, with the steamy “Stroke You Up,” did the best job working with the taped tracks.

By far the worst performer was Blige, who was singing songs from her new album, “My Life.” She undermined her considerable vocal talent with some unbelievably klutzy dance moves and by registering a big zero on the charisma meter.

The two artists who sounded best were singer-songwriter Brian McKnight and the R&B; vocal group Silk. That’s because neither used the canned accompaniment, opting instead for simple solo piano backing on their ballads. It’s amazing how rich the sound of a live instrument can be after a steady diet of taped tracks.