A Tour Through Motown, Disco

Diana Ross was all smiles, glitter and efficiency at Radio City Music Hall on Wednesday night, a part of a nationwide tour straightforwardly devoted to her hits. “Tonight is truly, truly about memories," she announced.

Segments of her career, from the 1960s into the 1990s, were each marked with a shiny dress (and some feathered capes), a video montage and a selection of hits. She'd scamper off stage, letting the band take over, and return in a few minutes newly outfitted -- silver, red, blue, gold -- and fluffing her luxuriant hair. At 66, Miss Ross is a trouper, with a voice so engraved in American pop memory that all she has to do is approximate her old performances to set fans joyfully singing along.

For the concert, she was more jukebox than diva. Ms. Ross barely spoke between songs until, near the end, she proudly introduced the members of her band: a big one, with, she beamed, “live horns and live strings and live musicians -- yay!"

Her voice is still strong and enthusiastic, if not always accurate, and it's just a little rougher than it was when she emerged as Motown's doe-eyed sweetheart. In the '60s her hits with the Supremes seesawed between anticipation ("You Can't Hurry Love") and heartbreak ("Stop! In the Name of Love," “You Keep Me Hangin' On"), but her voice stayed bright, perpetually hopeful.
 
For the '70s and her solo career, she set aside teenage love songs, playing Billie Holiday in “Lady Sings the Blues" and moving into ballads like “Theme From 'Mahogany' “ and “Touch Me in the Morning." As the '80s began, she rode the end of disco into the charts with dance tunes like “I'm Coming Out." Continue...http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=56632