| Summary: | 1981 proved to be a banner year for premiere vocalist Chaka Khan, whose album What Cha Gonna Do for Me achieved Gold certification and garnered the Grammy nomination for Best R&B Vocal Performance-Female. She also enjoyed a much-heralded album celebration at the Roxy Theater in Los Angeles. It's a relatively short show (five songs, thirty minutes), but within that time period she sweeps the crowd off its feet with her energetic singing performance that teems with funk and soul supported by a top-tier band of brass and rhythms. The Diva slides into a funky groove, dancing happily to the music, and delivers ecstasy in a mix that at times touches on jazz. (On her recording she enlisted jazz giants including Herbie Hancock, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Richard Tee and even bebop legend Dizzy Gillespie to contribute to the mix.) At the Roxy, she delivers a high-charged take on the Beatles tune "We Can Work It Out," swings into the playful original "I Know You" (co-written by producer Arif Mardin), and sings into the wondrous heart of "Melody Still Lives On," based on Dizzy's classic "Night in Tunisia" that she and Arif arranged for her vocal transcendence. Dan Ouellette.
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