Review: The 'Incomparable' Natalie Cole

THE "INCOMPARABLE" NATALIE COLE

"Unforgettable", "Incredible", "Sophisticated Lady"...all words that appropriately describe the "incomparable" Natalie Cole, who appeared at the Belk Theater this past Thursday, June 25. The big band sound filled the entire room with echoes of symphonic music. Impressively dressed in a white "princess like" formal dress, accessorized with "bling" on her shoes, bracelets, belt and even on her microphone, Natalie opened the first part of melodious performance with such classic jazz numbers such as "Summertime", "Fever", and who could forget the Ella Fitzgerald's nursery rhyme "A Tisket, A Tasket". She also dazzled us with timeless songs that her legendary dad, Nat King Cole popularized such as "Route 66", "Smile" and of course the posthumous duet with her father "Unforgettable". Her smooth octave voice and appreciation for different styles of music took us on a "toe-tapping", "finger-snapping" journey. She even surprised us with a Country tune entitled, "Your Side of the Bed". Her versatility extended to singing a few Latin tunes from her "Natalie Cole En Espanol" musical compilation.

My favorite part of the show is when Natalie "let loose" and belted out her popular R&B tunes "Our Love", "Mr. Melody", and "This Will Be". We (the audience) stood on our feet as our minds and bodies travelled back down memory lane. That "incredible" voice of Natalie Cole is still crystal clear and sweet sounding as it did back in the 70's, when we were introduced to her in her first album, Inseparable. No studio touch ups, this is the "real deal" jazzy, R&B...whatever genre you want to list....SINGING! I enjoyed myself from beginning to end. Ms. Natalie Cole...we will always be "inseparable". You are the best...your father would be proud.