It was a night of R&B that ranged from new school to nostalgia as Mary J. Blige enlisted the help of veteran El DeBarge, rated next vocalist Jazmine Sullivan and newcomer Miguel for her “Music Saved My Life” St. Louis stop Saturday night.
At the end of the day it would be the established artists to leave a lasting impression.
The familiar faces of the night began with Jazmine Sullivan.
Vocally, she is the envy of most within the music industry with a rich vibrato and intricate vocal runs. But her stage show continues to leave much to be desired.
Parallel to her attempt to carve out a musical identity – despite enormous talent – Sullivan struggled to find her place on stage while delivering songs from her debut CD Fearless like “Lions, Tigers and Bears,” “Need You Bad” and “In Love With Another Man.”
She attempted to connect with the audience by sharing the bliss of her current relationship followed by a cover of SWV’s signature song “Weak.”
The biggest misstep of her short set was when she decided to revisit the 90’s again for an ill-fitting song and dance sequence snippet of Bell Biv DeVoe’s “Poison.”
But any attention and/or energy lost on Sullivan was more than made up for with El DeBarge – even though the grand entrance of his signature falsetto was impeded by sound issues.
He connected with the crowd immediately as he took on DeBarge classics as well as the songs his late brother Bobby performed as the lead singer of the 1970’s musical group Switch, including “Never Be” and “I Call Your Name.”
Nearly 35 years in the business didn’t show as DeBarge danced across the stage with the energy of someone fresh in the game and eager to take the industry by storm.
His was a storied performance with the only downside being the limited time he had to share with fans that sang along, shouted out and stood on their feet for a job well done.
Expectation was high for the woman of the hour after being primed by DeBarge and Mary J. Blige would not disappoint.
She lived up to every demand of the high-energy, emotionally charged performances that made her a star – and created a bond with millions of women through the lyrics that she has lived, yet managed to capture the story of every woman.
Blige came out swinging with the b-girl sway in her dance moves and seemed to be genuinely enjoying herself.
The show was a “best of Mary J. Blige” from the beginning with a song that weaved together the “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul’s” hits over a career that has now spanned twenty years.
She transitioned from up-tempo numbers like “You Bring Me Joy,” Everyday it Rains” and “Real Love” to slow jams such as “Not Gon’ Cry” and “Girlfriend.”
In a show that rarely stuttered and never bored, she attempted create a musical timeline for the fans who’ve been around since the beginning of her Uptown/MCA days.
There were a few vocal imperfections, but whatever Blige lacks in technique and training, she usually makes up for in the spirit and soul – both on records and in concert. Saturday night was no different – In particular her scaled down performance of “As I Am” and the emotional overload that took place during her “Just Mary” performance.
By the end of the night, Blige had soaked the stage and the audience with a relentless dedication that transcended musical notes and resonated with all in attendance.
