Ft. Lauderdale Review

General Discussion

Ft. Lauderdale Review

---

iwishyoulove 10-19-2007, 2:55 PM

Concert review: Sculpted Natalie Cole struts in Fort Lauderdale

BY JOAN CARTWRIGHT

The Au Rene Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday was full of grateful fans of the daughter of America’s most beloved balladeur, Nat King Cole. She paid homage to her father and those who crooned before her, including Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie. But let there be no doubt, this woman is grown and deserves all of her own accolades. Eight-time Grammy Award-winning singer Natalie Cole is a song stylist. Opening with the song made famous by the sultry vocalist, Peggy Lee, Cole and her rendition of Fever lit up the stage as she strutted her stuff in a flaming red and orange sequined mini dress with spaghetti straps that showed off her cut and definitely well-trained figure. At 57, Cole made me and lots of other women in the audience want to run to the Pilates center. The musicians were tasty from beginning to end. Drummer Robert Miller played brushes in a call and response pattern with Cole on Fever, letting me know that he is about accompanying her rather than showing off his chops. James Manning on bass played as steady as could be, while guitarist Samir’s accompaniment added dynamic flavor. On the keys were Terrence Martin and Gail Deidrick, both switching from their respective synthesizers to the six-foot grand Steinway piano that, as Cole put it, “took up most of the stage.” Cole gave one loving song after another. “Wow!” the audience said, after Better Than Anything, recorded by Cole with Diana Krall. This swinging waltz featured a guitar solo and highlighted the voices of two female background singers. Michael Frank’s Tell Me All About It was a samba. Cole told the audience, “Whenever a girl sings a song made popular by a guy, it’s always better!”     It was. She sang in “whispers, never shouts,” as the lyric goes. It’s a pleasure to hear a mature sister scat the tradition on a new song with a soft guitar in the background. From her PBS show, We Love Ella, Cole performed her version of A Tisket A Tasket that proved jazz lives! Then, she made a smooth transition to blues, which she said she’d been singing since age 11. She reminisced about the jazz vocalese group Lambert, Hendricks & Ross that wrote lyrics to Count Basie’s Fiesta In Blue that she said, “to enjoy this, you gotta really, really be depressed. But as the 7-piece ensemble walked through these blues, Cole’s mezzo soprano voice mimicked that of Annie Ross with “women carryin’ on like women do.” When the music modulated to the next verse, Cole made it clear that “tears are the only thing it’s good to lose,” assuring us that “you don’t have to try to get in the door. Just have to cry to get in the door. A little Count’ll do you good.” The mood mellowed when Cole sang Midnight Sun, composed by Lionel Hampton and originally sung by two divas, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughn. The piano and synthesizers, along with the bass, guitar and more of the drummer’s brushes created beautiful “music of the universe” to go along with the delightful lyrics of this song. Cole paid homage to composer Charlie Chaplin, who gave the song Smile to Nat King Cole. At this point in the concert, I was forced to pay a compliment to the lighting technician, whose efforts enhanced every line of the song with colorful nuances that I noticed again and again throughout the concert. This ballad featured lovely harmonies sung by the background singers, “making life still worthwhile,” as Chaplin wrote, and the whistling audience concurred, proving my contention that Fort Lauderdale is truly a Jazz town. The showstopper is always what the audience comes for and this one stopped us all. With a video of her father in the background, Natalie set out to grab us by the heartstrings as she traded lines with Nat singing America’s most beloved song Unforgettable. We may have seen this a hundred times on TV, but watching and hearing it live had us all humming. And the photos of Natalie with her father reminded me how wonderful it is to be “Daddy’s girl.” The photos of Natalie with her father and other performers were so heartwarming that I had to stop taking notes and raise my hand in the air. It was beautiful. In the audience were Cole’s younger, twin sisters Julian and Timolin, who said Natalie “is timeless. She never ceases to amaze me.” To them, Cole dedicated More Than You’ll Ever Know by Michael Ruff. “We always get personal,” she said, before assuring the twins that she’s always there for them. It made me wish I had a sister, but also made me grateful for my brother, Carlton. The musical interlude on string synthesizers conveyed the love Cole sang. The looming Steinway begged for more romantic music and Cole conceded with Inseparable, making the crowd shout “Yeah.” MMJ, sitting behind me, screamed, “Sing, Girl!” and Natalie kept right on, “Like words to a melody of love!” “For the guys out there,” Cole tore up Mister Melody with Samir on Wawa guitar. She soared from this pop tune into This Will Be, with the crowd clapping a syncopated rhythm to “everlasting love” for Natalie, “love from now on.” MMJ screamed, again, “You go, girl!” Slowing down, Cole breezed her R&B hit I’ve Got Love On My Mind, highlighting the vocal trio. It put us in the Club where we danced cheek to cheek, damn near grinding like ya know ya used ta do! They broke it down, groovin’ just like the record. I had to stand up on that one. Finally, there were songs from her latest CD, Leavin’. A breath machine, Cole covered Aretha’s Daydreamin’. Martin traded vocal lines with Cole, back and forth. He said, “You’re a love that stays on my mind.” She said, “It’s all about you.” In the middle of the concert, Natalie stopped singing for a moment. “I’ve got to say this,’’ she said. “There's a lady sitting here in the first row, taking notes. I’m assuming she’s a reporter for some journal and now, I’m nervous.’’ I told her that she was doing great. “Don't worry, just sing,’’ I said. “I’ll do the writing.’’ ' ); document.write( addy73862 ); document.write( '' ); //-->\n divajc47@yahoo.com ' ); //--> This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ' ); //--> Photo by Sayre Berman. Natalie Cole

---

Love and Kisses,
Keisha

Words to remember:
“Whatever you think about, and thank about, you bring about!"
-Rev. Run

Re: Ft. Lauderdale Review

---

teachmetonight 10-19-2007, 3:20 PM
Wow; thank you, Keisha! I really enjoyed reading that and she's always so sharp...I feel like I was in the front row with the writer!

---

"...But remember when you hang your head it's hard to see the sun, there's a brighter day, yes it is, Just ask and He sure will come..."

Re: Ft. Lauderdale Review

---

stardust 10-19-2007, 4:48 PM
THIS REVIEW BROUGHT ME TO TEARS. OH, I LOVE NATALIE COLE SO MUCH!! i WISH I COULD BE AT EVERY CONCERT. THESE REVIEWS ARE THE HIGHLIGHT OF THIS BOARD. KEISHA THANK YOU FOR YOUR PROFESSIONALISM GIRL. THIS IS WHAT WE ALL NEEDED. I LOVE YOU SO!!!!! I'M SO HAPPY FOR NATALIE COLE. MY HEART HAS SPOKEN!!!

Re: Ft. Lauderdale Review

---

VanesaJ 10-19-2007, 9:14 PM

OMG! I too so wish I was there!!! That's sounded like the best concert EVER! I need to hurry up and graduate soo I can have some time and just go and see you, Ms.Natalie in concert! I can't wait til I'm 18, ima be travelin to see you like crazy:) I LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART Ms.Natalie and nothing and no one can change that!

I love you too, Mrs.Benita:)

Thanks for the review!

---

.::nErD Fa LiFe::.

Re: Ft. Lauderdale Review

---

Benita 10-20-2007, 3:39 AM

VanesaJ wrote:

OMG! I too so wish I was there!!! That's sounded like the best concert EVER! I need to hurry up and graduate soo I can have some time and just go and see you, Ms.Natalie in concert! I can't wait til I'm 18, ima be travelin to see you like crazy:) I LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART Ms.Natalie and nothing and no one can change that! I love you too, Mrs.Benita:) Britni, we're gone hook you up someday. Don't know when or where, but it'll happen. But you (along with so many others in the family) have been so faithful. You deserve it. Thanks for the review!

---

Benita
"Loving Arms"

Re: Ft. Lauderdale Review

---

VanesaJ 10-20-2007, 8:02 AM

No WAY! Are you serious??!??! Ooo...Mrs.Benita, I can't wait till that happens, that day or night will be the best event in my life....second to me graduating from high school...But I really meant what I said...I don't have the time, because I am involved in everything, plus me and my fam are struggling with money and it's not even prom yet:(

Love = Ms.Natalie and Mrs.Benita

Everyone on the board, yall already know yall got my love:)

---

.::nErD Fa LiFe::.

Re: Ft. Lauderdale Review

---

stardust 10-20-2007, 12:23 PM
Hey GAng!!!! Natalie Cole is going to be in Richmond, Kentucky on December 8th. God I wish I could go but its 6.5 hours from Greensboro, NC......."This HEART" of mine......I am so hoping that she comes back to New York or New Jersey for the holidays. I have got to see my girl again before the New Year!!!! Thats going to be my Christmas present. I just LOVE the "Leaving" Tour!!!! The very thought gives me chills!!!:)

Re: Ft. Lauderdale Review

---

divajc 11-02-2007, 10:56 PM
I am so happy that Natalie's fans have enjoyed this review. Here is a correction from one fan. It will be noted in the next edition of the Broward Times, thanks to the submitter. [Hello, I am just writing you to express to you that I have just viewed you paper about the Natalie Cole show that you did your story upon and I wanted to express to you that it was WONDERFUL, but there was a mistake and that is that Natalie Cole does have two twin sister's, but the names of the twins are Timolin and Casey and you have noted in your article " Cole’s younger, twin sisters Julian and Timolin." Just letting you know. -- What Ever You Do Just Do It With Style -- Emmanuel Carrie, MFT] SEE my reviews of other great artists at www.fyicomminc.com/files/interviews.htm -- Diva JC

---

Love and Music
Diva JC
www.divajc.com