The Jazz Channel Presents Freddie Jackson

Lawd have mercy. I don't think I've ever seen so many smiling, nodding, drooling women in one audience. Once definitive nasty boy (before rap redefined "nasty") Freddie Jackson, sporting a silk gold baroque suit, not only swivels his hips like Elvis (only slow) but at the same time keeps intense eye contact with every lady in the audience. In this 2000 BET Jazz Central dinner club performance, Jackson croons juicy love ballads such as “Nice ‘N' Slow,” “You Are My Lady,” “Rock Me Tonight,” “Don't Let Love Slip Away,” and “Love Me Down,” with such puffed up confidence and sophisticated style that even the males in the audience keep their collective senses of humor while their dates are vocally ravished without mercy for 65 minutes. Short on tunes (only seven tracks are listed, with notable omissions including Jackson's pop songs “He'll Never Love You (Like I Do)” and “Love Is Just A Touch Away”), but long on impromptu tease play (“oooohhhhs,” “ahhhhhs,” and “oh baby”'s abound) this Dolby Digital 5.1 love letter from the guy your mama always warned you about is shamelessly recommended. Aud: P. (N. Plympton)