POP MUSIC REVIEW : Terry Ellis Supplies the Heat at ‘Holiday Cooldown’

Things could be worse for contemporary R&B.; Even Sunday’s poorly paced “Holiday Cooldown” at the Wiltern Theatre had some noteworthy moments: a too-brief solo set by En Vogue’s Terry Ellis, the spectacle of the resurrected Mary Jane Girls.

Less can be said of other hitmakers who played at this concert, sponsored by KKBT-FM (“The Beat”) as a benefit for homeless teens. In the lineup of such station regulars as Faith, Montell Jordan and Xscape, the genuine, universal emotion of R&B;’s best was hard to find.

The faceless pop balladry of Xscape gave way to the romantic pulp of Faith, who has ridden her “You Used to Love Me” to the upper reaches of the R&B; charts. Only Ellis and Jordan thought it necessary to bring live musicians along for their sets. So when Ellis appeared early in the show, things took an immediate turn for the better. The singer’s dynamic presence as she sung breathy, stylish ballads from her new “Southern Gal” album provided some excitement that the rest of the night lacked.

The Mary Jane Girls emerged to a muddy backing beat for four dance songs of high camp dating from their early-’80s heyday, giving the night an unpolished blast of the old school sound with their ’85 hit “In My House.”

Jordan was also an upbeat host, and was most effective when he had a solid groove to ride, finding room to glide from soothing vocals to casual rapping. When his band dove into the grind of Marvin Gaye’s classic “Let’s Get It On,” Jordan was handed a vehicle worthy of that energy.

But Jordan stopped after just a few well-received verses, leaving the song a misguided tease that only illustrated how far away he was from Gaye’s soulful heights.