Natalie Cole Was the Class-Act of Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival 2011

by JamaicaMusic Offbeat
American singer, songwriter and commanding stage performer Natalie Maria Cole, the daughter of jazz legend Nat King Cole, duly substantiate the jazz reference in the Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival. She was unanimously the class-act of the three-day fest held at Greenfield Stadium in Trelawny, Jamaica over last weekend.

Cole not only woo the large turn out on Saturday night but became the darling of the Jamaican Dailies. 'After three nights of the 'Art of Music,' the question of who was the best, is a toss-up between the sophisticated, elegant class act who goes by the name Natalie Cole  and Jamaica's very own, Tarrus Riley.

Dazzling the audience in an exquisite dress, Cole, sparkled and so did the diamond microphone that she held in her hand. Having lost [some] weight, Cole looked like jazz legend Nat King Cole's little girl, but when she opened her larynx, she brought out the woman.

This was no child act, “This is Prime Plus," shouted university lecturer and Sunday Gleaner columnist Carolyn Cooper. Yes, Natalie Cole has upstaged Prime Time, and showed herself to be among the artistes of this world capable of bringing audiences to their knees.

“I like when you sing with me," she told the thousands that stood on the greens at the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium, waiting to hear her belt the Grammy Award-winning 'Record of the Year,' Unforgettable, and this she did, but not before flirting her prowess through the words of I Miss You Like Crazy, the up-tempo Mr Melody and the anthem Inseparable.

By the time Cole reached that juncture in her performance, she could easily have ended there, but she didn't. The star performer continued, unwilling to short-change her clients'—The Jamaica Gleaner.

Air Supply, Natalie Cole steal the show, screamed The Jamaica Observer newspaper's headline.

'Preceding Air Supply was the daughter of one of the greatest singer ever lived—Natalie Cole. Her dad shoes fit just perfectly as she came on stage and delivered an ultra smooth performance. Her sweet, clear voice rang out in the cool morning air, warming the hearts of her listeners.

From: http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=75004