The Sounds of Philadelphia Heard in DC

The grounds may have been DC, but the sounds were pure Philly.

Tonight, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival held a concert to honor legendary song writers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, the City of Brotherly Love songwriting team credited with creating the Sound of Philadelphia. Gamble and Huff and the record label Philadelphia International have produced 170 gold and platinum records and their sound is one of the most identifiable from the 70s.

Two of the bands linked with Gamble and Huff performed many of the team's top hits.  First up was The Soul Survivors, who brought the crowd its feet with a medley of Gamble/Huff hits including "Cowboys to Girls," "Back Stabbers," and "Me and Mrs. Jones."  But the biggest stir was created by Survivors' set-closer their 1967 smash "Expressway to Your Love," also penned by Gamble and Huff.

The night's show closed with a stellar Gamble/Huff hit after hit set by Philly's Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes. The highlights were a soulful "If You Don't Know Me By Now," and the 70s protest anthem "Wake Up Everybody," which the the group pointed out "has a message which is just as powerful today."

Coupled with the Phillies crushing of the Atlanta Braves, the concert capped a perfect Philly Sunday.