Tag Archives: Jill Scott

Jill Scott and Maxi Priest rock the Taste of Chicago Festival

By Sommer Thornton

Jill Scott2013Chicago’s most famous festival, the Taste of Chicago brings together the city’s best food and big music acts. Though the revamped festival offered paid concert seating and fewer vendors, headliners like Robin Thicke, Fun, and Jill Scott made this year a huge success.

Jill Scott headlined the Taste of Chicago in Grant Park on Saturday. Jill Scott, Maxi Priest, and spoken word group Ideology performed for a sold out crowd of thousands. Fans stood the entire set as Jill belted out hits like The Real Thing, A Long Walk, and So in Love. Other cuts like The Way, Cross My Mind, and Hate On Me were given soulful remixes. Jilly from Philly rocked the stage in a sexy black and white fitted dress with platform heels. Those of us used to seeing a thicker Jill Scott perform in draped garb were pleasantly surprised at her sexy slimmed down look. Jill is still voluptuous as ever, now with a tighter posterior and muscular legs for days.

Jill Scott also rocked a custom-made grille as she excited the audience with her frank adlibs. On her soulful ballad, Whatever, where she exalts her man and declares there’s nothing she won’t do for him, Jill joked, “I’ll even let your baby mama sleep over and you know we don’t get along.” Another song, Quick got Jill pretty emotional. While she performed it she stop singing – turning from the mic and shaking her head. The audience lent their full support, shouting, “It’s okay…” Jill never finished that song.

Unrated Flair had the pleasure of attending the show as a guest at the Verses & Flow VIP tent positioned right next to the stage. Verses & Flow is a series created by Lexus that brings poets and R&B artists together for a grown and sexy night of spoken word and good music. Verses & Flow in conjunction with the Taste of Chicago presented spoken word group Ideology as the opening act.

Ideology had the audience feeling sentimental when they spoke about love and relationships, then cracking up when the joked about the shortfalls of dating the wrong guy. The five gentleman group set the stage for reggae artist Maxi Priest, who performed before Scott.

Maxi Priest has never lost his swag. He performed classics like Close to You and a few new hits that had the crowd dutty-winding. Maxi even brought out a special guest whose dancehall chants got the crowd jumping.

Day four of the Taste of Chicago was a weather-perfect day of pride for Chicago with grown and sexy folks of all ages packing the Petrillo Music shell to the brim and groovin in unison.

VH1 Storytellers Returns For A 16th Season With Jill Scott, Norah Jones, and More

A new season of VH1’s critically-acclaimed original music franchise, “VH1 Storytellers” will return on Monday, May 21, 2012.  This season will continue to deliver the intimate stories and live performances from some of the most popular and influential music artists of our time. Featured artists premiering this season will include multi-platinum selling artist Jason Mraz , Grammy-winning chanteuses Norah Jones and Jill Scott and roots rockers Grace Potter & the Nocturnals .

“We’re so proud to announce these exceptionally talented artists as part of our 16th season of VH1 Storytellers,” said Tom Calderone, President, VH1. “Our audience is hungry for the kind of deeper musical experience and connection to artists that Storytellers brings. That connection has cemented the series’ status as a jewel of the entertainment world where artists intimately share their music and the often revealing and poignant stories behind their songs.”

Premiere dates for the upcoming season of “VH1 Storytellers” include:

Jill Scott – May 21
Jason Mraz – June 1
Norah Jones – June 8
Grace Potter & the Nocturnals- June 15

“VH1 Storytellers” is a VH1 original series in which singer/songwriters perform and tell stories in front of an intimate audience about their lives, lyrics and careers.  The series premiered in 1996 with Ray Davies.  Since then, “VH1 Storytellers” has showcased some of the greatest names in music. David Bowie, Kanye West, Bruce Springsteen, Mary J. Blige, Green Day, Elton John, Coldplay, Jay-Z, Billy Joel, Pearl Jam, Dixie Chicks, Johnny Cash, Foo Fighters, John Mayer and Christina Aguilera and many others have graced the Storytellers stage.

For more information about the series and to watch video clips from past performances go to Storytellers.VH1.com.

Mary J. Blige, Jill Scott, Patti LaBelle and others Headline Annual “Jazz in the Gardens” Music Festival

The lucky 7th year of the two-day Jazz in the Gardens music festival returns to Miami Gardens with an incredible line-up sure to put the audience at Sun Life Stadium on their feet on March 17 and 18, 2012.  Beginning Saturday, March 17, 2012, “Jazz in the Gardens” attendees will be treated to exhilarating performances by the queen of neo-soul Jill Scott, the soulful chart topping KEM, Ledisi who was recently named “the next Patti LaBelle by Patti LaBelle”, old school human beat box Doug E. Fresh and the timeless jazz superstar Ramsey Lewis. The Sunday, March 18, 2012 line up will feature the incomparable voice of the multi-platinum, nine time Grammy winner Mary J. Blige,  R & B legend Patti LaBelle, smooth jazz saxophonist Kenny G, jazz guitarist Kevin Eubanks, formerly of The Tonight Show, and locally grown internationally recognized chanteuse Nicole Henry .

“Jazz in the Gardens” owes its success to a simple formula: a star-studded line-up, great food, extraordinarily affordable ticket prices and amazing weather. For the past six years the festival has enjoyed unprecedented growth, consistently delivering stunning increases in attendance. The 2011 festival attracted over 48,000 music lovers, from the Caribbean, the United States and all over Florida, to the City of Miami Gardens

The 2011 “Jazz in the Gardens” featured performances from legendary artists including Ms. Lauryn Hill, Charlie Wilson, Al Jarreau, Jazmine Sullivan, Gladys Knight, The Isley Brothers, EnVogue, Lalah Hathaway, Branford Marsalis and former New Edition members Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill and Ralph Tresvant. Previous years have included celebrated artists such as Mary J. Blige, Erykah Badu, John Legend, Robin Thicke, the late Teena Marie, Wyclef, Babyface, Frankie Beverly and Maze, Chaka Khan, Chrisette Michele, Common, Anthony Hamilton and Roy Ayers.

For more information about the 7th Annual “Jazz in the Gardens,” please call the general hotline at (877)-640-5299 or visit www.jazzinthegardens.com.

VH1 Divas Celebrate Soul

VH1’s beloved, popular franchise, ” VH1 Divas ,” returns and will pay tribute to the cities where soul gave birth to music’s most powerful classics and inspired today’s divas. Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Hudson, Jill Scott, Florence + The Machine, Kelly Clarkson and Jessie J will pay homage to these cities and soul music’s timeless classics at New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom. ” VH1 Divas Celebrates Soul ” premieres Monday, December 19 at 9 p.m./8 p.m. central time on VH1.

“This year’s telecast will showcase the vast impact soul music has had on the 21st century’s music and pop culture landscape as our talented and diverse lineup will attest,” said Lee Rolontz, EVP, Original Music Production & Development, VH1 and VH1 Classic. “This year’s ‘Divas’ offers a modern twist on soul music, all while tipping its hat to the legacy of key cities that created this musical heritage.”

“VH1 Divas Celebrate Soul” will bring together some of the best singers across the globe, men and women alike, to honor the soulful cities that inspired these divas and their art.  The cities honored include: Chicago, Detroit, London, Memphis and Philadelphia. Accompanied by one of the most exciting groups of modern soul, The Roots, with Questlove as musical director, each diva will pay tribute through not only their own soul-inspired songs, but some of the greatest classics that have shaped a genre.

As in previous years, this edition of “VH1 Divas” will benefit VH1 Save The Music Foundation and its programs to restore music education in public schools.  For more information, please visit www.vh1savethemusic.org.

2011 ESSENCE Music Festival Announces Additions to Line-Up

Multi-platinum superstar Jennifer Hudson will make her debut Festival performance, joined by R&B/Funk icon Chaka Khan and the reunion of New Edition at the 2011 Essence Music Festival celebrating the “Roots of R&B” July 1, 2 and 3 in New Orleans.

In addition, Kem, Miguel, Naughty By Nature, Doug E. Fresh, Marsha Ambrosius, Mavis Staples, Eric Benet, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Trin-i-tee 5:7 and Brian Courtney Wilson have been added to the previously announced line-up, which includes Kanye West, Mary J. Blige, Trey Songz, Jill Scott, Charlie Wilson, Boyz II Men, Fantasia, George Clinton, Macy Gray and more.

Now in its 17th year, the ultimate destination for entertainment and inspiration hosted over 400,000 attendees last year. What began in 1995 as a one-time event to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of ESSENCE magazine has now grown into one of the country’s “Top 10 Leading Brand Events” by Advertising Age.  

The Festival is the nation’s largest annual gathering of African-American music and culture.  Throughout its history, the Festival has featured an array of performers including Alicia Keys, Al Green, Aretha Franklin, Beyonce, Chaka Khan, Destiny’s Child, Earth, Wind & Fire, Gladys Knight, LL Cool J, Jamie Foxx, John Legend, The Isley Brothers, Lionel Richie, Luther Vandross, Maxwell, The O’Jays, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Toni Braxton, Patti LaBelle and Yolanda Adams, among others.

For information about ticket sales, accommodations and the latest news about the Essence Music Festival, visit http://www.essence.com/festival or become a fan of 2011 Essence Music Festival on Facebook.

Recap of 2010 Essence Music Festival

By Tamara Jenkins

2010 marked the 16th year of the Essence Music Festival that celebrates the best and brightest in entertainment and it did not disappoint.

Described as the Ultimate Party Weekend,  this year’s festival was held July 2-4 in New Orleans, Louisiana and  included free daily empowerment seminars with some of the nation’s most influential speakers, authors and leaders,  and, of course music, with a triple dose of female power with Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige and Alicia Keys as the musical headliners.

For those who have yet to experience the festival, it is a combination of free, themed seminars during the day and concerts in the evening held this year in the Louisiana Superdome. Performances are a broken up between the main stage where opening acts and headliners perform and in super lounges around the main stage where mini-concerts are performed.

Terry and Rebecca Crews speaking at a relationship seminar

Seminars topics included love and relationships, education in the black community and an all star gospel salute to Kirk Franklin, Pastor Shirley Caesar and Bishop Paul and Pastor Debra Morton. Seminar highlights included Q&A’s with actor/comedian Steve Harvey and actress Jada Pinkett Smith, Bill Cosby delivering an Educational Keynote, Getting Your Life Back by Dr. Juanita Bynum, Where Do We Go From Here? by Reverend Al Sharpton and Reclaiming Our Youth: Purpose, Principles and Power Mentoring by Bishop TD Jakes.

LL Cool J, Jill Scott & Trey Songz

A music lovers paradise awaited ticket holders nightly with performances by Monica, Raphael Saadiq, Charlie Wilson, Keri Hilson, LL Cool J, Gladys Knight, Trey Songz, Jill Scott, Earth Wind & Fire on the main stage and Lalah Hathaway, Arrested Development, Ruben Studdard, De La Soul, Mary Mary, Mint Condition, Joe, Laura Izibor, Chrisette Michele, Ledisi, Melanie Fiona and more in the super lounges.

A top notch show from Janet Jackson on Friday included various costume changes ranging from an outer space Playboy Bunny outfit, that would make Hugh Hefner smile, to menswear and circus themed clothing as she sang hits Control, Pleasure Principle, What Have You Done For Me Lately; ballads Again, Let’s Wait Awhile, Come Back To Me and dance favorites Nasty Boys, Doesn’t Matter and If.  During Jackson’s first intermission, scenes from her television and film work were played on screens.

On Saturday, rumors swirled around the Superdome expectant mother Alicia Keys wasn’t going to perform and Jada Pickett Smith was going to deliver the news, but Ms. Keys did show, walking onto the stage hours after her scheduled time to perform an uninteresting, rushed set that included Like You’ll Never, Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart, Un-thinkable (I’m Ready), Empire State of Mind, and Superwoman. Unimpressed or upset over the long wait, concertgoers began leaving 25 minutes into her show.

Mary J. Blige

On Sunday, master show woman Mary J. Blige had everyone on their feet. Shimmery, sequined jacket, signature sunglasses, the Mary J swagger was in effect as she sang Real Love, I Love You, Love No Limit, All Night Long, No More Drama and I’m Going Down and Good Love with Trey Songz joining her onstage.

Overall, the Essence Music Festival was an informative, educational and entertaining event that is not to be missed in 2011. 

Photos by Dan Locke

Maxwell and Jill Scott Summer Tour

R&B superstars Maxwell and Jill Scott brought their summer tour to the United Center on May 25th. Maxwell performed songs from his latest CD “BLACKsummers’night”  while Scott sang some of her hits.

 

 

 

 

Photos by Dan Locke