Pitchfork

Sly Stone's rare public appearances have been spectacles fit for rubbernecking since, oh, before most of us were born: there he is with a blond Mohawk, wandering around onstage for three minutes and flashing a peace sign before disappearing into a limo. He's probably high somewhere behind the shades, but also secretly miserable; you see a clip and can't help but wonder how he's passed his days for the last however many years. Which is why this footage of him performing this past weekend at Rotterdam's North Sea Jazz Festival is so nice. His look is low-key and casual, like an old jazz player who just wants to focus on music, even if his posture suggests a man of more advanced age. He sounds loose and comfortable during "If You Want Me to Stay", like he'd been doing this regularly all along. "Sing a Simple Song", on the other hand, he attacks, getting at notes that he could have given to a background singer. You get the feeling that nothing is simple for him these days, but this is a step in the right direction.