Nevermind the long ride on the D train from Brooklyn to Harlem, but being late for Raheem Devaughn’s set at the Harlem Grille for his “Word of Mouth” tour was probably fate considering the idea that the best is saved for last. I made it just in time.

First of all, the venue glowed with cantaloupe colored lighting that brushed along eager, soft sweating faces. The party, for what it seemed, had been swinging before I made it. Though the room was intimate and decorated with large museum like mirrors on the walls, the space had appeared bigger than it was and the crowd was encouraging, shouting their appreciation to Raheem. In between numbers, the singer played the comedian with the crowd, telling funny stories and relating his experiences as a lover and as a man. He imposed and we related, the ladies were especially receptive. There were mostly ultra chic females present and some hip guys in blazers and jeans that tended to sing along with Raheem too. I stepped in on a superb Earth, Wind and Fire medley played in a slow and sexy tempo. We all sang along, reminiscently, but triumphant and thankful for Raheem’s rendition. The amazing band was comprised of two keyboardists, bassist, drummer and two backup singers that conjured up a youthful soul which was truly a breath of fresh air.

On a different note, but exclusively interesting, a painter (Denon7Peekaso.com) created a painting during Raheem’s set. He shared the stage, painting vigorously, while Raheem sang with full intensity. Ra’ wore a cream blazer, white tee, baggy jeans and a smart pair of tan snake skinned adidas. With his hair braided like an Ashanti warrior, he commanded the stage closing his set out with his hit, “You.” His jacket was removed by this time, revealing a forearm of tattoos. The singer broke into mere sexiness and all the lovers in the room grabbed their significant halves and rocked and swayed to the soulful cut. For his encore, he chose a more contemporary song that kept his “love experience’s” momentum. Raheem took ownership of Andre 3000's “Prototype” and crooned like no other. When we recognized the melody, a jazzy two-minute interlude before he sang, we went bananas. Raheem motioned for us to sway with him as he closed the set. He descended the stage and immediately hugged and kissed approaching ladies, giving pounds to the guys that showed their appreciation as well. The dim lighting struck ambiguous shadows in the back of the club, but Raheem hung around meeting and greeting in his soulful and divine glowing essence. His set recaptured the greatness of singers like Marvin Gaye and the Isley Brothers, who cared about the music and the connectedness they shared with their fans. He told the crowd from a cordless mic, “I’m definitely coming back to Harlem.”