“margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;”>
“font-size: 9pt;”>Jill Scott remained true the evening’s theme when she rolled her Summer Block Party for the Budweiser Superfest into the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater last night with Mint Condition, Anthony Hamilton, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and Doug E. Fresh.
“margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;”>
“font-size: 9pt;”>Thanks in part to a healthy mix of heart and soul, the lineup provided an old school hip-hop flavored outing that kept audiences on their feet and grooving all night long.
“margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;”>
“font-size: 9pt;”>If the goal was to take the crowd back to the days of memorable summers full of great music and a jovial atmosphere, then Scott and company exceeded that expectation.
“margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;”>
“font-size: 9pt;”>With a 7 piece band, 3 male background vocalists known as “The Pipes,” and a break-dancer in tow, headliner Jill Scott appeared with a smile as bright as her sequenced mesh blouse, jet black leggings, and neon green sneakers to a nearly full house. Up-tempo selections like “Shame,” “Gimmie,” and “Quick” allowed Scott’s showing to kick off in high gear. With an appearance from host-rapper Doug E. Fresh, she effortlessly crooned through a few bars of his hit, “La-di-da-di” as “All Cried Out Redux,” “Hate On Me” and “The Way” followed. Slower selections like “So In Love,” (duet with opener Anthony Hamilton) “Le BOOM Vent Suite,” and “Rolling Hills” found Scott transition from flirtatious and coy to yearning and insightful as she managed to project the dynamics of each song with body gestures and vocal inflections.
“margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;”>
“font-size: 9pt;”>It was evident that Scott had mastery over her music as she moved through her earlier work like “Slowly Surely,” “It’s Love,” and “A Long Walk” – where Scott offered an engaging moment of crowd participation when she allowed the audience to complete each lyrical line of the song that solidified her status as a rising soul superstar back in 2001.
“margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;”>
“font-size: 9pt;”>A medley of “Come See Me,” “Cross My Mind,” and “Crown Royal” casted a more intimate mood as Scott professed that “people make babies at my shows.”
“margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;”>
“font-size: 9pt;”>“Golden” with encores of “He Loves Me,” and “So Blessed” closed the show as Scott proved herself as a keeper of feel-good music.
“margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;”>
“font-size: 9pt;”>Opener Anthony Hamilton featured songs like “Cool,” “Coming From Where I’m From,” “Can’t Let Go,” “Point of It All”, and “Charlene” in which he mixed in “A Heart is a House of Love” from the movie The Five Heartbeats. Seemingly energized and animated, Hamilton highlighted his display with dancing to the roar of the crowd and a march into the audience followed by his background singers. Mint Condition fared well as they went though selections such as “Send Me Swinging,” “Nothing Left To Say,” and “Pretty Brown Eyes” where lead singer, Stokley Williams teased with his wide vocal range.
“margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;”>
“font-size: 9pt;”>DJ Jazzy Jeff and Doug E. Fresh provided intermission entertainment as both kept the audience engaged with hip-hop and R&B classics like Maze ft. Frankie Beverly’s “Happy Feelings” and “Before I Let Go”.
“margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;”>
“font-size: 9pt;”>Local talent, Theresa Payne, who nabbed the $5,000 prize as opening act, belted out “Keep Dreaming” from an upcoming EP as concert goers piled into the venu
“mso-bidi-font-style: normal;”>e.
