Joyce Vincent, Scherrie Payne and Lynda Laurence

But if it's jazz you seek, the best venue might be the Showcase Theatre at Marin Center. This intimate (315 seat) theatre is the host for the organization Marin Jazz, who are not only "preserving the rich history of jazz while championing its evolution into the future" by bringing some world-class musicians to the North Bay, but also creating opportunities for young people to learn about the art form through workshops, after school programs, master classes and workshops.

Their most recent show was last night's The Former Ladies of the Supremes, which, true to the name, featured three women who have each been a part of the Supremes lineup, singing the group's biggest hits and–along the way–telling stories about working with Diana Ross and recording in Motown's studio.

The three women–Scherrie Payne (sister of Freda Payne), Lynda Laurence and Joyce Vincent–treated the audience to an array of hits from the Supremes' catalog: "Baby Love," "You Keep Me Hangin' On," "Love Child," "You Can't Hurry Love," Get Ready," and "Stop! In the Name of Love," among others. That last song, one of the Supremes' biggest hits, was introduced by Scherrie Payne with the story of what inspired Lamont Dozier to write it. Evidently, Dozier was visiting the studio with a lady friend of his, and the two got into an argument. Payne clued us in to the fact that this friend was "a cheatin' dog" and the girlfriend should dump him, but that as he was pleading with her to stay, his last words as she was walked out the door became the chorus of a record that hit number one on the Billboard charts.

Resplendent in gowns by Linda Stokes, the three ladies seemed to have a fantastic time on stage. Though their choreography wasn't as tight as, say, The Temptations, their voices were strong and their energy levels high throughout the 100-minute performance (with a brief intermission). They occasionally left the Supremes' catalog behind to venture into other hits, including a medley of the Tony Orlando & Dawn hits, "Knock Three Times" and "Tie A Yellow Ribbon," in honor of the fact that Joyce Vincent was an original member of Dawn.

Unfortunately, despite the excellent acoustics of the Showcase Theatre (which were put to such great use in Marin Jazz's most recent show, a Tribute to Duke Ellington), the sound mix was so muddy it was often hard to hear these three amazing voices over the five-piece band backing them. The sound improved somewhat in the second half of the show, but the sound board technician sadly never quite got the sound right.

Despite this somewhat fatal flaw, The Former Ladies of the Supremes was still a delightful journey back in time.

The Former Ladies of the Supremes was presented on December 20, 2024, at Marin Jazz, Marin Center Showcase Theatre 20 Ave of the Flags, San Rafael CA. Marin Jazz has several more shows coming up over the next few months, including Carlos Reyes and The Ray Charles Project. Shows are staged at the Showcase Theatre at Marin Center, 20 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. For tickets and information, please visit www.MarinJazz.com.