“That was all her”: Anita Baker makes no apologies

It was supposed to be an Anita Baker concert. Yet the eight-time Grammy-winning songstress chose to lead her set with “Lady Marmalade,” originally made famous by Patti LaBelle’s vocals when she led the 70s group LaBelle.

It would become clear why later. Baker took several opportunities during her Farewell tour stop Wednesday night at Chrysler Hall to pay homage to those who influenced her success.

But make no mistake: The more Baker took the spotlight off herself, the more her jazzy prowess shone in a voice richly seasoned after some 35 years in the industry.

No backup dancers. No costume changes. Just an elegant backing band outfitted in black tuxedos and a trio of backup singers in simple, black complementary outfits.

Baker made sure the audience knew this was no ordinary crew. It was led by Ray Chew, current music director for “Dancing With the Stars” and formerly for “American Idol” and “Showtime at The Apollo.” The backup singers were of no less pedigree – they were on loan from their gig with “Idol.”

So very little could have gone wrong in terms of sound. But Baker almost didn’t make it, she informed the crowd. She and the crew had been mired in a series of flight problems originating out of Minneapolis that delayed their arrival for nearly 24 hours.

Nearly 10 years ago to the date, Baker performed close by at what was then known as nTelos Pavilion on the Portsmouth waterfront. She came out an hour and a half late.

We don’t know whether she wanted to make up for that in her determination to not miss this date, or if she was just plain feeling awesome. Tired or not, she came out right on time and powered on for two straight hours.

“Your presence in the middle of the week means everything. … It’s nice to have an occasion to dress up for in the middle of the week,” she said to cheers.

Her set included a dozen hits, including an audience-led “Sweet Love,” and a powerhouse rendition of “Been So Long.” The roar of thunderous applause to the latter brought chills. “Just Because” was sung in memoriam to her influencers and included a slideshow tribute to Luther Vandross; Glen Campbell; David Bowie; Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire; George Michael; George Duke; Natalie Cole; and Prince, among others. Between songs, there were lots of “lordy have mercy” utterings.

“I’m country,” she acknowledged. “Quincy Jones calls me country.”

After taking “No One in the World” to new vocal heights, the 60-year-old segued into Chaka Khan’s “Ain’t Nobody.”

“I gather strength and energy from those who came before me,” she said after the song. “I ain’t gone even try to touch Ms. Franklin,” Baker said of her Detroit peer, the venerable Aretha Franklin.

But wouldn’t you know it, the moment she said that, the band started playing “Natural Woman.”

“Y’all crazy tonight,” she said to the band after singing the first verse and chorus. “Nobody rehearsed that.”

That playful, improvisational, down-home vibe carried the evening. As Baker belted out her hits, she danced around, dragging the mike stand, sweating, swaying, and twirling and flipping the black sequined duster that complemented her knee-length column dress and kitten-heel pumps.

She even referred to herself as a “weirdo” for not sticking to an industry formula.

“I don’t wear what I’m supposed to wear. When I first started, I wore these long dresses, and people would say they were church dresses. And then I shaved the side of my head,” she said. “You are a product of what you came from. I’ve always been very proud of my long dresses.”

Save for the signature black pixie haircut that she has grown out into an auburn, modified feathered bob, not much about Baker has changed. If indeed this was a farewell, she gave a show that sears her legacy.

One concert-goer summed it perfectly: “That was her. That was all her.”

via Jamesetta Walker - The Virginian Pilot