SOUL DIVA NATALIE COLE DELIVERS A STOMPING PERFORMANCE AT BLUESFEST

Natalie Cole headlines at the BluesFest, The Royal Albert Hall, London

After a stirring performance by soul legend Gregory Porter on Wed 30th October at BluesFest we witnessed why Natalie Cole is still an enduring soul diva. Natalie Cole entered the stage, a whisp of a thing adorned in sparkly accessories to match her equally stunning dress, the diva treated as with an introduction full of her classics.

I sat adoringly on 3rd row middle seats listening to all her classics and those of her legendary father Nat King Cole. As I had hoped Miss Cole sang 2 duets with Nat King Cole, with her dad projected on the screen. Irreplacable was sang in sweet dulcet tones that took us back to the good old days of jazz and rhythm and blues. Then we were in from something different, Miss Cole sang her songs in Espanol which included some well known Spanish songs including the 2nd duet with her father based on his album of Spanish songs. It was a sizzling latin experience.

Never one to miss a comedic moment, Miss Cole gave us a little snippet of how they rhythm styling of good old classics was so similar that you could put in a rift from musical Oklahoma! or the Shirley Temple classic the Good Ship Lollipop.

The best ofcourse was left for last! In tribute to all the artistes from Soul, rhythm and blues, jazz, disco and pop that had passed since 2009 Natalie Cole sang a tribute. The tribute set included Miss Cole's favourite songs from Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Chaka Khan and Donna Summer.

A consumate professional Ms Cole continued to entertain the crowd well past her set time, with the crowds screaming "more" and waving enthusiastically at her. Thank you Natalie Cole.


 

BOBBY WOMACK DELIVERS AN ELECTRIC SOUL EXPLOSION AT THE BLUESFEST 2013

Bobby Womack at the Blues Fest, Royal Albert Hall

 

Bobby Womack featuring Altrinna Grayson at the Royal Albert Hall, London

We had the privilege of being invited to what was the most extraordinary set at the BluesFest at the Royal Albert Hall. The legendary Bobby Womack performed a storming set to an electric crowd that was lapping up every note and crowd pleasing stage antic. Bobby Womack is not only one of the best soul singers he gives every inch of his himself to every performance he gives. Flanked by electrifying back up singers who could easily be a headline act at any world class concert.

69-year-old US soul father Bobby Womack, is a relentless entertainer with as much zeal for life as he has for good music. His music speaks to each and everyone in the audience – it’s about the ups and downs of life, overcoming adversity, finding love, losing life and God. Womack tells a story and we feel like we know him and what he has gone through in his journey as a singer, partner and family man.

It’s 11pm and his daughter opens the show with 2 intimate stripped down songs from her upcoming EP album. Beautiful, curvaceous, bubbly and with a sweet and powerful voice the  young Womack songstress proved that talent runs in the family and that the Womack and Womack legacy lives on.

The soul father was led on to stage sporting black leather trousers and coat and his trademark tinted shades. His band and backing singers entrance equally exuding a cool demeanor reminiscent of the legends during the golden age of soul and rhythm and blues. He gets the crowd into a frenzy opening with his hit “Across 110th Street”. We then experienced a full blown soul explosion from his catalogue from the 1960s to his 2012 album TheBravest Man In The Universe and 1 new song from his upcoming album. There is no doubt Womack’s headline appearance at the BluesFest was as memorable as his sets at Glastonbury and Latitude.

Having played guitar and opened for Sam Cooke And The Soul Stirrers, he took us back to the time when Sam Cooke wrote “A Change is Going to Come”. Womack then performed a sizzling stripped back version of the song to the sheer delight of the adoring crowd. A highlight of this performance was the man next to me rolling on his seat crying when Womack hit the big notes on this hit. This is how a soul legend affects those who experience his music. The set continued to deliver gem after gem and the biggest treat was AltrinnaGrayson singing backup and the glass shattering vocals on the Patti Labelle parts on “Love has Finally Come” - totally astonishing.

Sadly like most good things, the great man’s set had to end. Womack’s blistering vocals stirred emotions in the audience in a way I had never seen with a 10 minute standing ovation begging for an encore. Introduced back on stage by Altrinna Grayson, Womack delivered his memorable gospel hit “Jesus be a Fence around me” for his encore ending in resounding applause and another ovation.

My team left knowing that we would never forget the incredible effect on us knowing what we had experienced seeing Womack work his magic on stage