Australian audiences have waited a long time to see Jill Scott in concert, thirteen years after her breakout album was released the soul singer didn’t disappoint with a show that simply blew the crowd away.
You knew there was a lot of love in the room for Scott when she took to the stage at The Astor Theatre on Wednesday night. The moment she appeared on the stage, dressed in a flowing metallic dress and knee high boots the crowd was giving her a standing ovation. As Scott looked out into the energetic crowd she revealed a beaming smile and began to sing.
It would be the first of many loud rounds of applause and standing ovations the singer would earn over the next 90 minutes and she showcased her vocal skills and charmed the crowd with her seductive banter. The music was an elegant mix of neo-soul, funk and touches of hip hop, but above it all was a singer with a voice that should be listed as one of the greats.
Scott is an interesting song writer, her lyrics have a strong base in poetry and the thoughts she shares are sometimes intimate reflections, while at other times strong declarations about issues and society. During the show she performed a fast Capella version of ‘Quick’ before reproducing the same song as a smooth and slow piano driven number.
Throughout the show Scott included the hits her fans have listened to countless times on her hit albums, she performed ‘Getting in the Way’ pumping up it’s catching verses and ‘A Long Walk’ was delivered in the smoothest of presentations.
‘Cross My Mind’ was a hypnotic love letter to a former lover, sultry and mesmerizing as Scott grooved away dancing as she sang.
The beauty of Jill Scott’s show was not just a one of a kind singer who delivered an outstanding performance, it was the added combination of her engaging personality and incredibly meaningful songs. Leaving the show it felt like you’d just seen a legend of the future, like being able to say “I saw Ella, or Aretha or Tina”.
Returning to the stage for the first of several encores the band leaped into the funk jam of ‘Gimme’, that borrows parts of Sting’s ‘Well Be Together Tonight’, Scott kicked off a party that kept the crowd on their feet for the remainder of the show. Perth’s conservative audiences are not known for their ability to let loose, but Scott broke through that barrier.
The funky ‘Golden’ which it’s declarations to live life to the fullest had the crowd clapping, gooving and singing along. ‘Hate on Me’ was delivered as a powerful rock jam. Launching into ‘He Loves Me (Lyzel in E Flat) Scott let loose showing that she has a voice that an opera diva would kill for, her powerful yowl of emotional pain took the tune to the stratosphere.
For a second encore Scott returned a closed with a song called ‘And I Heard’ which she described as a song that came to her in a dream. The band provided a slow funk background and Scott encouraged the audience to join in on the chorus singing “Do you understand what you feel inside”, followed by calls of “Hey” and “Ho”. As Scott conducted her chorus of singers, the musicians slowly, one by one, laid down their instruments and walked off the stage until Scott was left with just the audience. As the crowd overcame their shyness and yelled ‘Hey and Ho”, Scott smiled, turned and danced off the stage having delivered a show that nobody will ever forget.
Graeme Watson
image: Katie Cameron
