R&B STRINGS ATTACHED

The New York Pops dresses beloved
love songs in elegant symphonic attire

Aisha Jackson and Avery Wilson

Love was in the air at Carnegie Hall on the night before Valentine’s Day as The New York Pops and conductor Steven Reineke turned their attention to the romantic side of Rhythm & Blues with If I Ain’t Got You: The Best of R&B. Surveying several decades of enduring love songs, the concert wrapped familiar favorites in the rich sound of a full symphony orchestra. While the lush orchestrations occasionally gave these soulful classics a glossy new coating, the evening still delivered an affectionate celebration of songs that have lingered in the public consciousness for generations.

Aisha Jackson and Steven Reineke (rear)

The repertoire drew from major R&B and soul artists whose work often crossed into the pop charts and has since inspired countless cover versions. The selections refreshed familiar favorites while respecting the stylings of the hit recordings that first made them famous. Those originals cast a big shadow, making it a daunting task for even these very capable singers to compete with the audience’s memories of the iconic performers whose charisma helped define the songs. But there was undeniably lots of robust, muscular, passionate singing, exciting highs, and enough sweet-toned tunes to melt any Valentine heart. Yes, these young performers were in the groove—and knew how to move.

The New York Pops

The orchestra set the mood appropriately with Barry White’s “Love’s Theme.” Later came a pair of generous medleys, including one saluting Diana Ross, both with and without The Supremes, highlighted by the irresistible choice of “I Hear a Symphony” in Steven Reineke’s own arrangement. Throughout the evening, imaginative orchestrations kept the material interesting: a decidedly non-ordinary “Ordinary People,” and two songs by Prince (or “the artist formerly known as Prince,” as he was later cumbersomely called) receiving the royal treatment in Tedd Firth‘s inventive arrangement. As in so many Pops concerts, the arrangements made all the difference.

Avery Wilson

Avery Wilson‘s standout solos included Jackie Wilson’s “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher” (Broadway audiences may remember him as the Scarecrow in The Wiz). Among Aisha Jackson‘s finest moments was Alicia Keys’ “If I Ain’t Got You,” the song that gave the evening its title—and one that was also being sung on Broadway at the time in Hell’s Kitchen. Rounding out the vocal forces, the stylish backup singers were Ramona Dunlap, Stephanie Fisher, and Melodie Ray. Husband-and-wife songwriting team Ashford & Simpson were the evening’s most represented composers, with Jackson and Wilson joining for three duets of amorous ecstasy expressed with considerable oomph.

Ramona Dunlap, Stephanie Fisher, and Melodie Ray

Avery Wilson and Aisha Jackson

But here’s the thing: the accompaniment of a huge, traditional orchestra with all those strings gave many of these old favorites a fancy, shiny, expensive, luxurious new costume. Whether that makes something gutsy go glam or simply too refined for the raw, edgy soulfulness of the originals is, of course, a matter of taste. Your mileage may vary. But with love song after love song culminating in a warmly sung “Endless Love,” appropriately enough, Jackson and Wilson sent the audience home immersed in idyllic romance. There’s an endless supply of American love songs for The New York Pops to explore, and this Valentine’s offering proved there are still plenty capable of making hearts flutter.

Aisha Jackson

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photos by Fadi Kheir

If I Ain’t Got You: The Best of R&B
The New York Pops
Carnegie Hall, 881 Seventh Avenue in New York City
reviewed on February 13, 2026
for future performances, visit The New York Pops

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