BY LARRY NAGER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Quiet As Kept - Todd Jackson, Darrell Gibson and Kevin Robertson - will kick off the Coors Light Festival Friday at Cinergy Field.
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If genetics has anything to do with success, then Kevin Robertson's Cincinnati pedigree guarantees he's bound for glory.
On his mother's side, he's connected to the Isley Brothers. Her maiden name was Janis Jasper. She's the sister of Chris Jasper of Isley-Jasper-Isley fame. Her sister Elaine is married to Rudolph Isley, one of the original Isley Brothers, so both he and Chris Jasper are Kevin's uncles.
That's enough of a musical family tree to spark the curiosity of anyone familiar with the Queen City's funk and R&B heritage, but Kevin's got game through his father's family as well.
"Big O is my uncle, too," says Mr. Robertson with pride. His father, Henry, and Oscar Robertson are brothers.
But none of those big names can help their nephew when he and his Cincinnati-based Quiet As Kept, take the stage at the 1998 Coors Light Festival with their harmony-driven, smooth R&B. They're scheduled to kick off the weekend at Cinergy Field Friday at 7:30 p.m.
"We honestly believe that we should be there and we can compete with any of the people who'll be singing there," Mr. Robertson says. Brave words, given that the other "people who'll be singing there" Friday include Gerald LeVert, Keith Sweat, Johnny Gill, Patti LaBelle and Brian McKnight.
One thing that his famous family has given Mr. Robertson is the certainty that personal goals can be reached, that excellence is attainable.
"We're gonna come there and we're gonna do six tunes, and we're gonna hit it hard!" he promises.
Slow beginnings
Quiet As Kept -- Mr. Robertson, Darrell Gibson and Todd E. Jackson -- started hitting it around three years ago.
"Darrell came up with that name," recalls Mr. Robertson, adding that it's an old slang term meaning "on the QT" or "kept as a secret."
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IF YOU GO
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What: The 1998 Coors Light Festival
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday (LSG -- Gerald LeVert, Keith Sweat and Johnny Gill -- Patti LaBelle, K-Ci & Jo Jo, Brian McKnight and Quiet As Kept), 7:30 p.m. Saturday (Luther Vandross, Frankie Beverly & Maze, the Whispers, Mary J. Blige and Tim Cunningham) and 4:30 p.m. Sunday (James Brown, Gladys Knight, Cameo and Roger & Zapp)
Where: Cinergy Field
Tickets: $50, $35, $25 at Ticketmaster (562-4949) and beginning 10 a.m. Monday, at the West Ticket Pod of Cinergy Field (no service charge); festival office: 871-3900.
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Originally, Mr. Gibson and Mr. Jackson sang together in a group called Another From the Heart. They split up, and Mr. Gibson teamed with another singer for Quiet As Kept. The new guy left, Mr. Robertson came in and Mr. Jackson returned. The group was complete.
All three play instruments as well as sing, says Mr. Robertson, who gives the members' ages only as "twentysomething." Mr. Gibson plays bass and keyboards, Mr. Robertson plays drums and Mr. Jackson percussion. For their festival appearance, they'll be backed by a live band instead of the recorded backing tracks used by too many new groups. The band also is a family affair, musical director Terry Gibson being Darrell's brother.
Despite his family background, Mr. Robertson says he never got seriously into music until he was studying electrical engineering in Nashville.
"I got really involved on the school level," he recalls. "I sang with the jazz band at Tennessee State and with an a capella quartet." A former teacher at Withrow High School, he starts a new job Monday at the Cincinnati Institute for Career Alternatives.
But he's ready to enter the family business, the one on his mother's side.
Quiet As Kept is now working on getting a management team in place, planning to release music on its own independent label to draw the attention of the majors.
They don't have far to go for advice.
"Since Darrell lays all of our music out, he has talked with Chris (Jasper). And Chris and I have talked about the business," Mr. Robertson says. Like the rest of the Isley Brothers group, Mr. Jasper no longer lives in Cincinnati. He makes his home in South Salem, N.Y.
His advice has helped them avoid some pitfalls of modern R&B, Mr. Robertson adds. "We try to put in different chord structures and quality lyrics that are going to last, not just faddish cliches."
So tonight, Quiet As Kept is ready to spread the word. Mr. Robertson feels it's his turn in the family to step into the spotlight.
"I feel like I'm supposed to be doing something great, something above the norm or the standard," he says with calm confidence. "I don't really feel the pressure (of living up to his famous uncles). I just get a good feeling about that."
