Anita Baker Live!

Anita Baker
Chicago Theatre, Chicago
Saturday, December 09, 2006

When Anita Baker released her comeback CD, My Everything, in 2004, she was slated to perform at the United Center with duet partner Babyface, but the concert was canceled due to undisclosed reasons. A royalty-related lawsuit from Babyface crept into the picture shortly thereafter, but the songstress hasn’t let the drama keep her down, returning to the road on her own in support of her latest Blue Note release, Christmas Fantasy.

While the spirit of the holiday season was burning bright at the show, Baker didn’t let it overwhelm her romantic tendencies and classy programming. Along with a seven-piece band and three background vocalists, the flowing-gown clad singer paraded through her entire catalogue dating back to the mid-1980s when she dominated R&B radio. “Mystery,” “Sweet Love,” and “Been So Long” served as early examples this songbird’s pipes remain in tact, while “No One In The World” was an impressive example of her ability to still hit even the highest notes.

Of course, those cuts from her landmark album, Rapture, were the most rabidly received, and Baker continued dusting off others from that project and many other necessary career cornerstones. “How Could You” shined with her sultry swagger, “Caught Up In The Rapture” shimmered with delicacy and beauty, while “Just Because” sauntered with elegance. The upbeat “Same Ole Love (365 Days A Year)” gave the band the most room to improvise, expanding beyond the aforementioned slow jams’ motif for a rhythmic showdown between the bassist and acoustic piano player.

As for her Christmas Fantasy, Baker had all the scenery set up including two overhead chandeliers, four white-lighted trees, a blue-star backdrop, a sleigh-and-reindeer display, plus a pair of snowmen. Though she seemed prepared to break into seasonal selections during the encore, fans were shouting incredibly loud for more non-holiday hits. “Do you want to hear any Christmas music?” Baker asked, to which the nearly capacity audience shouted several requests, including her breakthrough “Angel” and the finale “Fairy Tales.”

Though Baker covered a wealth of material in her 90-minute set, there were still some stones left unturned. The most obvious was her omission of “Talk To Me,” a true staple for soul stations and a vital fan favorite from the Compositions tour. She also ignored “Good Love” and “Body And Soul,” two slightly-lesser-known-but-highly-coveted tunes her diehards would’ve devoured, particularly in light of their reemergence on 2002’s The Best Of Anita Baker (Rhino). But even in each of those absences, no one could take away from what Baker did present, which was an enchanting evening of soulful scatting and quiet storm classics.

– Andy Argyrakis

Category: Live Reviews, Weekly