Fresh off his electrifying tribute to James Brown at Jazz Fest, CeeLo Green will present a “secret concert” at the Ace Hotel on Saturday, April 30, inside the Three Keys live-music venue at 10 p.m. The concert is part of the ongoing Six of Saturns music series. Green spoke with OffBeat the day prior to his Jazz Fest performance while poolside at the hotel.

You will be performing a James Brown tribute at Jazz Fest. I’m curious how you came to select the Godfather of Soul as inspiration. Your show is being billed as “Soul Brother Number Hundred.” 

Well, first, let me begin by saying and acknowledging with all due respect, I am the son of James Brown, literally, figuratively, spiritually, musically et cetera. I feel relative, I feel kindred and I feel connected to the godfather himself. He has inspired almost everything that I have ever accomplished or intended. It’s been his contribution to the core fundamental that has reinforced and revealed so much for us as aspiring artists. We can’t help but be descendantry. I mean, it’s genetics, there’s nowhere around it. You know what I mean?

I think a few artists can really channel him. That’s very true. He was definitely an inspiration for many that followed. So you’ll be singing all of his hits, I assume?

Almost. There’s so many, you know what I mean? That was also during a time where you could have a hit instrumental record as well, too. I miss those times. I mean, imagine a number one instrumental. I mean, how things have changed. But yeah, I do a good blend and melody of my own music, as well as the godfather’s. And I think we pay honor and homage, and it is a wonderful tribute. And we’ve assembled a very talented and esteemed collective of musicians. And we are all ready and willing to win the crowd over, come the 29th, which is in a matter of hours. And so we are up here just taking it easy, celebrating, getting those jitters out, letting the butterflies out of the baskets, and having some celebratory afternoon cocktails and stuff like that. You know what I mean? Because everybody’s excited. We’ve been planning this for the last three months, rehearsing vigorously, tirelessly, while all still going and working our odd jobs elsewhere. But this is the matter at hand. Very excited. I’m all smiles. I can guarantee that people are going to love what we’ve done.

And this is the debut of this James Brown tribute?

Yeah, I think formally, yes. This is a first for me. And it does bookmark a turn of the page and the beginning of a new chapter in my professional career, because I mean, in all honesty, I humbly say, if I never accomplish anything else as myself, as CeeLo Green, I will forever be a fan of the greats and the gods. I would forever be humble at the hem of those garments, and subservient to the ones that came before me who are greater than myself.

If I accomplish anything, it’s only out of wanting to please the gods. I want the gods to bless me, to christen me, to kiss my forehead, to take the sword and knight my shoulders, boom, boom. That’s all it’s ever been about. I’m a big kid, man, I’m a big kid doing this. I can never be as good as James Brown. Are you kidding? I’ll be doing this for the rest of my life. I’ll be a hundred years old if I can do that.

Let’s go back and revisit some of your own hit songs, which will also be a part of the show. Let’s start with Crazy. What is the meaning behind that song?

Crazy means convinced, you want to believe in yourself and [inaudible 00:09:33] not go against it. I believe that the truest reward is in the risk that you take. And the undisputed truth is that individual account of your own experience, you know what I mean, own recognizance, you know what I mean? That’s it. I mean, I don’t know who else could tell me more about, what is purpose for me, you know what I mean? You just have to speak out loud and have the universe speak to you, and just be ambitious, be faithful, be tenacious. I am.

Good advice for everybody.

You hear that, kids? And eat your vegetables, too.

I remember very vividly when you appeared with Gwyneth Paltrow and Jim Henson’s Muppets on the Grammy Awards to perform “Forget You,” which we know had another title that was not played on the radio—another version of FU. Let’s go back there. What was that like?

Okay. Well, I did that performance. The puppets came because of a suggestion I made. I had always wanted to perform with the Muppets. Big fan as a kid. And when I was a kid, it wasn’t a hit record unless it was performed on The Muppet Show.

I got introduced to so many great artists and songs on The Muppet Show. It went hand in hand. I remember seeing Alice Cooper on The Muppet Show first. He performed “Welcome to My Nightmare.” I remember seeing Kenny Rogers perform “The Gambler” on The Muppet Show.

Yeah. I remember watching Leo Sayer perform “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” on The Muppet Show. So I couldn’t real-life reference these things 30, 40 years later, without this being the truth. So that was my motivation. That was my inspiration. And the Grammy Association wanted to do something totally different, but this idea trumped it. And they had an idea to do with Gwyneth. Fortunately for me, she was a personal friend of mine. I reached out to her on a personal level. And I asked her, would she do this as opposed to doing what they were suggesting? And she was like, “Yes, I trust you. And I’m with you.” And that’s how the song happened. And now it is a monument. It’s one of those Grammy performances when they show the highlight reels of the best ones.

Tickets to the CeeLo Green show at Three Keys may be purchased at this link.