February 06, 2005 @ 11:30 pm

Online Exclusive: Alicia Keys Headlines The Barbados Jazz Festival

by: Laylah A. Barrayn

January 14, 2005 – Bridgetown, Barbados, W.I.

How do you think Alicia Keys was received as the headliner for the Barbados Jazz Festival? Factor in a few things, one, she was the lone non-jazz artist, and secondly, her performance was near the end of the festivities. Not to assert that one genre is better than the other- any music produced by intellect and soul withstands the test of time. There’s no doubt that Ms. Keys was invited to the tenth annual Barbados Jazz Festival f

How do you think Alicia Keys was received as the headliner for the Barbados Jazz Festival? Factor in a few things, one, she was the lone non-jazz artist, and secondly, her performance was near the end of the festivities. Not to assert that one genre is better than the other- any music produced by intellect and soul withstands the test of time. There's no doubt that Ms. Keys was invited to the tenth annual Barbados Jazz Festival for a reason- her undeniable talent and star prowess. Keys is no stranger to the Jazz festival scene. She spent last summer touring like a jazz musician would, performing in Europe at some of the premier festivals like Umbria in Italy and the North Sea Jazz in The Hague, which are some of the more democratic gatherings considering the participation of non-jazz artists. Usually, the pop acts on jazz festival bills have an acoustic sensibility to their music; such as, Erykah Badu, Chaka Khan with her meandering vocals, India.Arie and her guitar, Angie Stone, and Common. The Roots definitely speak to a jazz tradition with their live band. In fact, it is at jazz festivals where pop artists are presented in a much different light, more often a minimalist light. Festivals demand less flashy production and more artistry. Artists perform in the raw, so to speak. With her second album, The Diary of Alicia Keys, Bronx-born, Hell's Kitchen bread pianist is steadily establishing herself as a phenomenon. The eight Grammy nods this year notates she's going in the right direction. Earlier in Keys' career she asserted herself and demanded that artistry come first, which resulted in being dropped from her initial label, Columbia. Subsequently, Clive Davis gave her free reign as a J Records recording artist. She incorporated tried and true R&B production and experimented with songs influenced by James Brown, Issac Hayes and Aretha Franklin on her debut album, Songs in A Minor (which won five Grammys). This February, she'll embark on the "Diary" tour with another earnest singer/songwriter/pianist as her opening act, John Legend. The Show Hundreds of cars and taxis hovered around the Sir Gary Sobers Gymnasium where Alicia will perform for nearly 4,000 people. The Barbados national anthem is played. We wait. And wait some more. The kids grow restless and begin clapping, hoping to draw her out. About 30 minutes pass. No Alicia Keys. (Word around town was that the pre-show prayer session became a bit intense and thus prolonged.) Alicia Keys blasts on stage, cane in hand, and opens her first show in Barbados with her current single, "Karma," which segued into the Timbaland produced "Heartburn." Steel eyed, she moves around the stage in staccato steps and swings her cane feverously like a drum major. Alicia moves slyly in a deep purple one-piece pantsuit, not unlike the one made famous by the late Tejano singer, Selena. Her hair is slicked back into a ponytail made to look like a cascading Mohawk. Her background singers become dancers for a moment and accompany her in sensual choreography. The cheering crowed offers a rapt attention, instantly she is forgiven for being late. The transformations from songs were flawless. The set was like a live EP. Her band played similarly to an acute-eared DJ that pairs songs together seamlessly. There was a dramatized, reggae-soaked "A Woman's Worth" with a bouncing bass line, where she danced a flamenco-belly dance sequence, which lead into a dedication to the late Ray Charles with his sassy hit, "(Night Time Is) The Right Time." Alicia ended the song belting out, "It's the right time to be in Barbados." The Grammy winning artist takes a rest and sits behind her Yamaha Motif electric piano. And, from "Rock Wit U" she offers, with her distinct husky voice, a somber rendition of "If I Ain't Got You." The show's theme is supposed to be an ongoing dialogue with the audience, as if the convo was just between you and her instead with thousands. "Were all friends," she says, "So we can talk about these things." To showcase the bands musical dexterity, there was an "intermission" where Keys stood in front of her band with a conductor's wand and guided them through a medley of 70's disco and funk ditties like Chic's "Good Times" with a Parliament Funkadelic flair. Afterward, background singer Jeremiah Germaine and Alicia planted themselves center stage and slow danced. He slowly tapped a white towel over her shoulders removing her sweat, they serenaded each other with the sexy ballad "Slow Dance." Jeremiah is most known for his adlibs on the mellow song "Diary." He has a tremendous voice that seems to rumble the ground. His falsetto can induce tears. She sung her first hit "Fallin'" without any special distinction and "Diary" was performed with a pulsating drum line and a mystic flute over the bridge, it offered the already sensual song an airy lift. Cell phones were waved from side to side in place of the now old school lighters. It wasn't the large production that carried Verizon's Ladies First, no shiny Baldwin grand piano to stretch over. Concertgoers were satisfied to see a dedicated artist like Alicia Keys whose evolving musicianship suggests longevity and respect for the craft. A cover of 70s classic "Special Lady" by soul outfit Ray, Goodman & Brown marked the end of the show as it transformed into "You Don't Know My Name." Alicia stood at the edge of the stage, cell phone in hand and made her now famous, cold call to "Michael."

Article tags: Online, Exclusive, Alicia, Keys, Headlines, Barbados, Jazz, Festival 

del.icio.us digg Furl Reddit YahooMyWeb

Page printed from:
http://www.vibe.com/news/online_exclusives/2005/02/online_exclusive_alicia_keys_headlines_barbados_jazz_festival/

Return to previous page