Saw Queen Sade Twice This Summer....

[soulselector]

Perhaps this will elicit a semi-bored 'so?' from many here, but....

IMO, this woman put on the finest show I've ever seen by any female vocalist, of any genre.

Additionally, having witnessed over 5 decades many many countless shows in numerous settings & genres---from East St. Louis juke joints to Kingston dance halls to Carnegie Hall----the performances I've seen by Sade are the equal to any.

She is a VERY unheralded jazz vocalist----her clean, vibrato-less phrasing so reminds me of Miles Davis' ballad work. The band is flawless(as fine a backing crew I've heard), & the depth of feeling in this woman's songbook and vocals reminds me of the Spanish word duende . There's an enormity of that in her voice, so much so as to render the pop divas of the past 30 years...insignificant.

And @ 52 years, Sade visually in my opinion makes the rest of the pack---from Beyonce on----come off as mules ;D.

Finally, I'd bet the store it would NEVER have occured to her to play a private show for the likes of Mr. Ghadaffi....

She sez this is her final tour. What a classy, achingly beautiful woman...

Attachments:

[Benj52]

Yes, well, one of favourite musical experiences was in late 1992, cruising in the streets of late-night Bristol in the back of a silver-grey SAAB convertible, listening to ‘Cherish the Day’ extended mix, repeatedly.

Earlier in the evening I had attended my first Jamaican lock-in, complete with animated domino playing and 7” magic from the greyed DJ. And later I attended my first blues party complete with scary dreads on the door (£1 pp) and a wee hatch from the kitchen through which one could purchase cans of red Stripe for £2.

Such a gorgeous voice!

[zapatoo]

I'm sure it was in B&S that I read circa 1984 that she was so nervous when performing live that she had to stay seated. I guess otherwise she might have been ducking and diving around the stage, while flailing her arms about the place.

Great voice, I loved her early stuff, though overall, a little too easy on my ears to listen to for any length of time..

[al]

she played my city not long ago...wanted to go, but ticket prices were prohibitive

[soulselector]

Al, given what she presented(her fabulous backing band Sweetback, the tasteful & stunning staging/visual presentation), along with her unhurried brilliance...but I did go into the money box for some tixs!