A soul diva in her finest form, the glory of a hip-hop star and the mix of a DJ that is masterful as he is legendary made for an unforgettable night of music for the Summer Block Party starring Jill Scott, Common and DJ Jazzy Jeff Thursday night at the Peabody Opera House.
Presented by 100.3 The Beat FM, the block party that involved 3,000-plus will be remembered as a triple header for everything that’s right with R&B, soul and hip-hop.
DJ Jazzy Jeff started the show off and was able to get shine for what originally put him on the map in the entertainment industry. Behind the turntables he blended family reunion classics and throwback jams – DeBarge, Anita Baker, Bobby Caldwell and even a taste of the his hit with The Fresh Prince that became the hip-hop generation’s summertime anthem.
Progressive rap star Common was true to form with his characteristically high impact show. Accompanied by a female singer and full band, the Chicago reminded the audience how he was able to forge a path between the East Coast versus West Coast rap scene twenty years ago.
Common presented an energy and passion and hunger to present an unforgettable live show.
Through selections like “The Corner,” “I Used to Love Her” and his feature on Erykah Badu’s “Love of My Life” and “Testify” he proved the range and diversity within hip-hop and illustrated the seamless blend between rap and soul music.
His re-arrangement of “The Light” to wiggle in a bit of the Maze featuring Frankie Beverly classic “Before I Let Go” was an extension of DJ Jazzy Jeff’s set.
But the most compelling element of his show by far was his tribute to the St. Louis region – Ferguson in particular – for the protests that captured global attention in the wake of Michael Brown Jr.’s death.
“The area of St. Louis helped changed the world last year,” Common said as an introduction to his Academy Award winning hit “Glory” from the “Selma” soundtrack – which closed his portion of the show. “Unfortunately it was through the pain and loss of a young black man, but we’re not gonna let his death be in vain, because we know that young black men are the targets for so many things.
Y’all showed the heart, the resilience, the strength and the love and it’s all to God’s glory.”
After an emotion-filled finale from Common, Jill Scott came out with a glowing smile and an intention to give the crowd an unforgettable performance.
The funk filled “Gimme” would ignite a soulful roller-coaster that had Scott so delighted she had to pry herself from the stage and informed fans that she wanted to give them even more after nearly 90 minutes of singing the stage down to the studs.
St. Louis definitely got the best of Scott last night. Through her selections she offered an autobiography of sorts – one that ended with a proclamation of being blessed by the life journey fans have been connecting with thanks to her poignant, relatable lyrics set to the most soulful of melodies.
The icing on the cake was that she sprinkled some long-awaited new material in the midst of her musical narrative.
“Put Me Back Together,” “Fool’s Gold” and “You Don’t Know” were among the new tracks from her upcoming “Woman” album that wiggled their way into the lineup that also included “The Way,” “A Long Walk,” “Crown Royal” and “Cross My Mind.”
Her vocals were pristine as usual, though she leaned more on her lower register for this particular performance. She delivered riffs and phrasings that paid homage to the great blues mavens and hint the broad range often displayed by the late great Sarah Vaughan.
“He Loves Me (Lyzel in E Flat)” is typically a grand spectacle of a finale that includes an operatic insert performed in Spanish that showcases her classical voice training.
There was only a taste of that last night. Instead she leaned into a heartfelt exchange between Scott and her fans where they professed love for each other.
As the lights came on and the band walked off, Scott scooted back on stage saying that she was allowed five more minutes to share with the audience and jumped right into her inspiring hit “Blessed.”
She shook hands, waved and shared her signature smile as she carried on with fans who rushed towards the stage over the course of the song.
“I wish I could stay longer,” Scott said. “I love you St. Louis. Be blessed”
