POP : Luther Vandross: Miles Ahead of the Competition

It’s hard to believe that Luther Vandross was once so shy that his career aspirations didn’t extend beyond singing ad jingles and warbling backup for artists like Bette Midler, Roberta Flack and David Bowie.

On Saturday night before an enthusiastic audience at the packed Hollywood Bowl, Vandross proved again that he is the premier male R&B;/pop singer of his generation.

Whereas many women in soul and pop could be considered leaders in the field, the search for male singers who can seriously rival Vandross would yield slim pickings. What about Michael Bolton or Jon Secada? On Saturday, Vandross laid to rest any thought of such comparisons.

Eschewing the elaborate stage sets and production numbers of past shows, Vandross kept matters simple. The emphasis was on that voice and his ability to tap miles of meaning into songs that would appear hackneyed in the hands of lesser artists. He even managed to make McFadden & Whitehead’s ‘70s hit, “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now,” seem like a fresh, new declaration of upward mobility in this post-disco era.

In fact, Vandross’ most fevered response from fans continues to come from his interpretations of songs by other singers. Not that he isn’t a skilled composer--it’s just that Vandross has a way of delivering “A House Is Not a Home” and “Creepin’ ” that stretches far beyond the original versions of those songs by Dionne Warwick and Stevie Wonder, respectively.

With Vandross’ days as a shy guy long gone, it would be nice if he’d let us in on exactly why some of these old standards mean so much to him--for example, “The Impossible Dream,” the ‘60s chestnut with which he chose to conclude his set.

As good as he is, that timeworn dirge prompted a noticeable bolt for the parking lot on the part of quite a few Vandross fans.