Freelon adds touch of jazz

After a long delay dating back to October, Nnenna Freelon and her ensemble opened the new Cobb Theatre in style on Thursday night.

The 5-time Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist hails from Durham and was the perfect choice for the benefit concert supporting its host, the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History.

Freelon’s husband, Phil, designed the building and her son is a junior African and Afro-American studies major at UNC.

CONCERT REVIEW NNENNA FREELON COBB THEATER THURSDAY, MARCH 24

The Black Student Movement Gospel Choir introduced Freelon with two soulful hymns, including “The Source.” After the choir’s exit, Freelon’s ensemble swept the stage, soon followed by its star.

Freelon wore a two-piece, plum-colored kimono with flowing arms to ease her motion. Her song selections ranged from Nat King Cole to Stevie Wonder, along with a preview of the soon-to-be-recorded Blueprint of a Lady honoring Billie Holiday.

The well-known “West Side Story” tune “I Feel Pretty” made its appearance, with Freelon asking the men in the audience to belt out the refrain.

Students were also involved in her performance. “We got your backs, your fronts, your sides — we got you covered,” Freelon said after asking all students in the audience to stand so the other adults could look up to their future employers.

The adult crowd certainly overwhelmed the student population at the event. Paul Baker, the center’s program coordinator, said Freelon’s performance attests to “another level of culture to the institution” and in particular worked to “incorporate community members that love jazz.”

Freelon appreciated the community presence. She said, “It’s one thing to get attention from people away from home. When people come to see you in your own town, that’s special.”

Freelon’s ensemble enhanced her soothing voice — though without the percussion, her jazzy tunes and reworked pop songs would have bordered on the classical.

Beverly Botsford provided a jaw-dropping experience through her varied array of percussion instruments. Running the gamut from bongos to djembes, rain sticks, kabbas and instruments made of hollow gourds, the table holding the majority of them deserved a personal show and tell.

And with 20-plus instruments, Botsford created the mood and enveloped silence with whispers.

With every song, James Lennon of Fremont would raise and rejoice to the beautiful sounds amid the surrounding seated applause.

“This is my kind of show,” said Lennon.

Contact the A&E Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.