eric benet live IN LONDON

By Sylvia Arthur

Its been a good few years since soul singer Eric Benet last performed in the UK and, given his sold out, three night residency at the Jazz Cafe, he's obviously been missed.

A staunch band of loyal, mainly female, fans had queued since 6pm to secure their place at the front of the stage and when Benet emerged at around 9.30pm there were scenes reminiscent of the teenage hysteria usually associated with boy bands rather than the polite appreciation of the adult contemporary scene.

Proving that he hasn’t lost his touch, Benet gave a stellar performance full of crooning and swooning, showcasing a velvety smooth voice that's a finely tuned instrument which has long been underrated in the world of popular R&B.

In a set lasting almost two hours, the Milwaukee native journeyed through his entire back catalogue performing tracks from his 1996 debut True to Myself, 1999's Grammy-nominated A Day in the Life and the less well-received Hurricane. But Benet's newest offering, Love & Life, his first in three years, is a worthy addition to his collection and songs from this new album caused much excitement among the capacity crowd.

The provocatively titled Chocolate Legs and Spanish Fly, which Benet described as “part salsa, part R&B, part sex” whipped the audience in to a frenzy and paved the way for the mellower, more reflective tunes that Benet is known for. But it was Georgy Porgy, his duet with Faith Evans, that was the showstopper and served as a rousing encore.

Showing he still has the hunger for his craft, Benet is a highly engaging and versatile performer. As an artist he’s a vocalist at the top of his game and as a performer he has a unique ability for making his audience putty in his hands. I, for one, was happy to be moulded.

Eric Benet performed at the Jazz Cafe in London on Saturday, 6th March 2009.

Watch Eric Benet's latest video in the Lucid blog here.