INTERVIEW: A Talk With Paul Korman About Dr. K’s Motown Revue At Bay Street Theater

Hamptons.com had the opportunity to talk to Paul Korman about his visionary quest to create the ultimate Motown tribute band. He explained how through a process over the years he has put together an amazing array of seasoned musicians and singers. Together they have become known as the “Dr. K’s Motown Revue.” The band is playing the Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor on Saturday, February 15 at 8 p.m.

Korman explained, “I have concentrated on the Motown period of 1961-1969. I have kept the Motown sound true to its roots. With each and every performance, my goal is to transport the audience back to that great magical time in music. Our singers dress in Motown era costumes that are similar to the ones worn by the outstanding groups of singers of that era. I have put together singers to compliment this latter day ‘Funk Brothers’ type band of musicians. Each singer is quite capable of fronting any band as a soloist and the combination of singers is more than enough to deliver authentically the vocal sound of the Motown roster of artists from that time.” He proudly relayed, “The result is always a powerhouse performance.”

The musician has never brought his Dr K’s Motown Revue to Bay Street and is excited about their first show there ever. Korman plans on having a movie screen set up behind the band to show short film clips of the 1960’s.

Korman grew up in Hicksville, Long Island and played in many bands before he settled down and had a career in financial services with offices in Bronxville, NY as well as on the Island. As he said, “I had put my Fender Precision Bass and my Ampeg B-15 amp away, and then one day I just decided to play again.” The rest is Dr. K’s Motown Revue history.

Talking music history with Paul Korman was exciting. He proudly lived the era of The Young Rascals, a favorite band of his back in the day, and remembers trekking out to Westhampton Beach to hear them play sets before they made it big. However, it was the Motown sound that he believes brings back the happy and powerful vibes of the 1960’s and hit AM radio days. He confessed every time his band does the classic hit My Girl, he finds himself watching the audience sing along, or dance along or both. “It’s just still so powerful, the effects songs like that have on people,” is how he put it.

He wants everyone who loves that 1960’s Motown sound to come hear his revue. “We really are solid in recreating the sound and shows of the best days of Motown. This is a show to see,” he relayed.

The band consists of Wayne Chobham, musical director/ trumpet; Roger Byam, saxophone; Wayne Jeffry, guitar; Craig Stewart, drums; Etienne Lytell, keyboards; Harold Lee, percussion/vocals; Kevin Keys, vocals; Natasha Thomas, vocals; Pat Lewis, vocals; Angel Rogers, vocals; Ivery Bell, vocals; and Paul Korman, bass/band leader.

Tickets to Dr. K’s Motown Revue are $30.

Bay Street is located at 1 Bay Street in Sag Harbor. For more information, call 631-725-9500 or visit www.baystreet.org.