Rawls is smooth and easy

Monday, May 3, 2004 | 9:41 a.m.

Lou Rawls is the King of Cool, the Prince of Poise.

He doesn't so much walk onto stage as glide effortlessly into the limelight with that small, sauntering step of his that exemplifies style and grace.

Rawls is in no hurry. He doesn't rush his songs, or the little vignettes he tells that lead up to them.

As he sings some of his blues numbers, one imagines he might be more at home in a dimly lit, smoky saloon than a 700-seat showroom.

Although he may be churning with anxiety beneath the surface, you would never know it from the easy manner with which he dominates the stage.

Rawls doesn't break a sweat, at least not that I could see.

When an instrumentalist takes over the spotlight, Rawls eases out of the way and lets the guitar or the keyboard or the vibes have center stage.

While they play, he dances a little, nothing dramatic or taxing -- just a few cool little steps that indicates he is totally in tune with the music.

Rawls is a consummate entertainer, one who fuses musical styles (from R&B to jazz, pop and blues) and interjects humor and stories of his life into the mix.

Rawls may be the last of a kind. Gone are the deep, rich baritone sounds of Barry White and Joe Williams.

But the world still has Rawls, whose voice is as unique and recognizable as those of White (who died last year) and Williams (who died in 1999).

Backed by a five-piece combo, the 68-year-old Rawls delighted a near-capacity crowd at The Orleans Showroom on Friday night, opening with "Groovy People" before addressing his fans.

"Thank you so much for joining us," he said, his voice still as smooth as silk. "I'm going to try to entertain you tonight with some songs ... designed to move and groove you. You know what I'm saying?"

Before easing into "Tobacco Road," he prefaced the song with a few comments:

"This is a song about an area we all know," he said. "Each and every city has its own particular name for this individual area -- in Philadelphia, it's North Philly or South Philly; in St. Louis it's East St. Louis and in New Orleans they call it the 'Desire Projects' because everybody desires to get out."

In Chicago, where Rawls was born and raised, the area was called "Tobacco Road."

Before moving on to "Natural Man," a signature song for Rawls, he expressed concern about some of today's music.

"This is a song we recorded prior to the rap attack," Rawls said. "You know the rap attack -- when you turn on your radio and hear them talking about rap music and you keep saying 'Where's the music?' "

He noted that "Natural Man" earned him a Grammy.

"You know, that little statue they give you? You know what I'm saying?" he said, unhurried.

Rawls dedicated many songs to Nina, his bride of four months. They were married on New Year's Day in Memphis, Tenn.

"I hit the jackpot for real," Rawls said. "I dedicate this next song to my lady, my sweetie. You will be hearing that throughout this show."

He then sang another signature song, "Lady Love."

Rawls performed several numbers from his latest album, "Rawls Sings Sinatra," among them "Nice 'N' Easy," "All the Way" and "The Lady Is a Tramp."

"We were going to call the album, 'Old Brown Eyes Sings Old Blue Eyes,' " Rawls quipped.

He also sang a few of the late Sam Cooke's hits, including "You Send Me" and "Don't Know Much About History."

Cooke and Rawls started their careers together in the '50s as members of a Gospel group, the Pilgrim Travellers.

Rawl's first recording was made in 1966, "Lou Rawls, Live" which was quickly followed by "Soulin', " his first hit single. Ten years later he earned his first gold record for "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine."

For Rawls' fans, the evening at The Orleans was a memorable night, one that sped by, but at an easy gait set by the master of cool.