By Karu F. Daniels, AOL Black Voices

Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson have still got "it."

Seeing the dynamic duo shake their shimmy and serenade a captive audience to a string of hit songs they wrote, produced or sang in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s was sheer joy.

That was the scene at the world's famous Apollo Theater over the weekend as the Harlem landmark kicked off its eagerly anticipated Apollo Legends Series.

Ashford & Simpson headlined the bill that also featured R&B diva Melba Moore as the opener.

The crowd, as can be expected, was just as lively as the show -- and kept this chronicler in stitches during and in between a timeline of classic R&B songs.

Moore, at 61, is looking better than ever and is a delight to watch on the stage.

The Tony Award winning star of hit Broadway shows such as 'Hair,' 'Timbuktu,' and 'Purlie,' ran through a string of her most beloved tunes including 'Loves Comin' at Ya,' 'You Stepped Into My Life,' and the R&B hit 'Falling.'

At one point -- in between her campy display of gut-busting octaves -- she reached down to drink an elixir (of some sort) out of a peculiarly-packaged container. One orchestra section patron yelled out, "Put the beer can down, Melba," sending that section of the audience into a frenzy.

As she ran through the numbers, she offered up anecdotes of years of yore -- providing a nostalgic context to her musical legacy. She also let the audience in on a relatively unknown fact of how her and Ashford & Simpson met decades before -- all three sang jingles in New York City before making it big as music acts. Ashford & Simpson went on to write Ray Charles' chart-topping hit 'Let's Get Stoned' and Moore went on to make her theater debut.

This show, their first performance together, represented a reunion of sorts.

Before closing the show with her searing rendition of her 1970s ballad 'Lean on Me,' Moore -- whose life story reads like a soap opera script (living the high life, rising to fame, a messy divorce, destitution, etc.) -- paid homage to R&B hits of the early 80s, popularized by Evelyn "Champagne" King, Kashif, Me'Lisa Morgan, McFadden & Whitehead and Freddie Jackson. Back in the 1980's, Moore played a hand in the success of the aforementioned artists -- by either c0-managing them, or the producers/writers of their songs. It's a fact she shared with her audience.

And the main attraction was just that: The Main Attraction.

Ashford & Simpson proved through and through that they've stood the test of time, just as their treasure trove of classic R&B staples suggest.

From the dreamy 'It Seems to Hang On,' to a gutsy version of the Diana Ross 1979 hit 'The Boss,' the twosome kept their audience engaged throughout an hour-plus long, non-stop set.

Ashford, who is reportedly turning 65 next month, wasn't in his best voice -- he fought a cold -- but he pulled out all the stops like a true pro.

The way he introduces songs and recall poignant memories makes for masterful storytelling.

Case in point: After shimmying through a few mid-tempo numbers with his better half, the Fairfield, South Carolina native stripped down into what looked like a criss-crossed layered tank-top, accentuated by gaucho/genie pants. He wanted to offer the fellas in the audience the secret to keeping a good woman like Simpson (they've been together for over 40 years). He broke out into a version of Screamin' Jay Hawkins' signature track 'I Put A Spell On You,' that would resurrect Nina Simone.

Simpson, who possesses the vocal dexterity of Cissy Houston in her prime, is a marvel to watch in her own right.

She not only matched her longtime partner in rhyme note- for-note, but also in costume: a frilly, two piece, with a slit that left little to the imagination (watch out Beyonce) and accentuating the hips. It was done up in three shades of green. She wore it well, too.

With legs of steel like Tina Turner, Simpson, at 61, put some of those other broads to shame.

The Bronx native, who took over the piano duties from musical conductor Nathaniel Adderly, Jr. for their Motown medley, also did a rousing version of 'I'm Every Woman' --written by Ashford for Chaka Khan.

'Send It,' 'Found A Cure,' 'Street Corner' and 'Is it Still Good to You' were some of their other favorites that had the near-capacity audience moving and grooving -- like if they were out at a free summer concert in Brooklyn.

Their final number, 'Solid,' was a throw down tour-de-force with Ashford encouraging audience participation during the ad-libbed verses 'Brick by brick. We're gonna make it stick."

The song is symbolic of their life-long legacy, and best sums up the show.

Overall, the first night of Apollo Legends turned out to be a memorable evening of sophisticated R&B, done up by two of the most talented acts of their respective era.

EXPERIENCE THE MAGIC FOR YOURSELF: It ain't the Apollo but it's Ashford & Simpson performing in New York City within the past month, or so.