JOSS STONE MAKES A MEMORABLE APPEARANCE

Photos by Maurice W. Myers

Photos by Maurice W. Myers

The Grammy award-winning Brit burst into the music scene with the hit song, “You had Me,” (Soul Sessions, 2004) and cemented her place in the music world with her bluesy funk, soulful rock, warm vocals and excellent songwriting skills. Currently on her Ellipsis Tour, the 37-year-old mother and sometime actress stopped by the Cerritos Performing Arts Center this past weekend. Before Stone commanded the stage, her opening act the supreme bassist and vocalist Nik West, raised the crowd’s spirits with her infectious rock sound. West and her talented crew, lead guitarist Joey Ziegelbauer, percussion David Collum and keyboards Clifton Williams, took charge and came out swinging.

Dubbed the female Lenny Kravitz, by musician Dave Stewart from The Eurythmics and “a bad mamma jamma” by über producer Quincy Jones, West reminded me of the 1970s female group Labelle, featuring Patti Labelle, a glam rock trio dressed in outer space outfits with enormous head gear. West dressed in a similar fashion wearing a yellow minidress with silver shoulder pads with matching boots and wore her braided hair like a crown, brought out the rocker queen she was born to be. She did covers of the late Prince “Kiss” and the 1978 classic “Flash Light” by the funk band Parliament. She added her own Nik-esque touch to the Beatles “Come Together” along with her original material, the naughty but feel so good “Forbidden Fruit” and “What You Do It.”

While Nik rocked the palace, Joss Stone turned it into a more relaxing, healing moment. Don’t get it twisted, she sang with as much soul as her beautiful voice could execute. Dressed in a vibrant garb, stylish flats, an armful of bangles and her long blonde, wavy hair cascading down, she was ready and eager to move the people. She brought out her entire band, backing vocalists Bailey Hyneman, Louise Labelle, Artia Lockett, keyboard player Joshua Brown, drummer Adam Smith, lead guitarist Steve Down, bassist Carl Fields Jr., saxophone player Jovan Quallo and trumpet player Emmanuel Echem, and they were explosive backing up the moving songstress. While drinking, what I imagined was tea from a white cup, Stone said that tonight she was also celebrating 20 years of music. She performed “Stoned,” to commemorate the major milestone. She was very polite and engaged the audience with a personal story about her first love. After the honeymoon phase quickly ended, he became a “wanker.” She asked what the English equivalent would be. After many interesting choices, she chose “dickhead.” She said that her hit “Had Me,” was written about him. Everyone laughed.

Stone continued with a disco medley, “Everybody Dance,” by Chic, “Got to be Real,” by Cheryl Lynn, where Stone sang back up to her terrific back-up singer Artia Lockett when she took the lead. Stone allows, with no intimidation, her band members to shine on their own. There was a little bit of a throwdown, between saxophone player Quallo and bassist Fields Jr. Each out doing the other. Not to be outdone, Stone belts out harder to match the intensity of the two talented musicians during the reggae- infused “Bring on the Rain.” During “Fell in Love with a Boy,” Down took over and killed it.

There is no perfect Joss Stone song to choose from. All her lyrics hit hard and remain with you long after the show is over. She’s an old soul with passion and heart. She gives her all to each song and people can’t help but succumb to her rhythm, her words of heart and pain, and still making everyone feel good afterward.