It may go down in the history books as a soul face-off of mammoth proportions.  

Both Al Green and James Brown -- known respectively as "the quintessential soul man" and the Godfather of Soul -- came to town last night for rare but separate performances. But speaking on behalf of the almost 2,800 gathered for the Reverend Al's first-ever concert at Roy Thomson Hall, the flamboyant, dramatic and slightly eccentric Green likely gave Brown a major run for his money.  

He walked on stage looking like he had just stepped off a plane from Miami, dressed in a creamy-colored silk suit, matching scarf and black sunglasses, with a black satchel briefcase slung over his shoulder and dozens of red, long-stemmed roses on his arm.  

But Green immediately proved to be first-class material, as he waved and smiled at audience members, all the while flinging individual roses at them.  

"I came out to have some fun tonight," he said. (Judging from the sweat-soaked dress shirt he revealed underneath his jacket at the end of the night, that was accomplished.)  

For the rest of us, from the first notes of his 1975 hit L-O-V-E (Love) to the last bow he took -- a way-too-short hour and 15 minutes later -- Green proved, yet again, why he's one of the finest singer/entertainers to walk the planet.  

His voice, prone to a gorgeous falsetto, is on a par with Otis Redding and Sam Cooke. My only complaint was that he seemed obsessed with turning down his own volume and persisted in singing off microphone and ordering his nine-piece band and four backup singers to "bring it down." (Strangely enough, when his cordless mike failed him a couple of times, he mouthed the words to the songs instead of just singing them as he had done earlier. "I'm back, Toronto!" he yelled after someone brought him a repaired microphone.)  

Green's dance moves, meanwhile, were as varied as his vocal stylings, going from mincing to funky to back again.  

"I like to do that," he said at one point as he was two-stepping in front of his mike stand. "They," he said, pointing to his bewildered-looking band, "don't know what I'm doing."  

Unpredictability proved to be Green's calling card as he made his way through such classics as Let's Stay Together (the first song to bring the audience to its feet), I'm Still In Love With You, Take Me To The River, Love And Happiness, Cooke's Bring It On Home and gospel numbers, including Amazing Grace.  

He alternated between stomping his feet and hugging himself, sinking to his knees, holding one arm above his head, rushing into the crowd and -- at one point -- was actually singing on his back.  

"I feel good! I'm chillin'," he said by way of explanation.  

Green only outdid himself when he bowed his head and prayed for the entire audience. How can you possibly top a talk with God?  

Sun Rating: 4 out of 5