The 2023 edition of Blue Note Jazz Fest kicked off with a performance from the iconic Grace Jones at Hammerstein Ballroom on Wednesday night (5/31). The stage at the sold out show (which began nearly an hour and a half past the announced start time) was shrouded in a kabuki drop curtain, which fell in dramatic fashion to start the night. Jones, who recently turned 75, was perched atop a chair raised about 20 feet in the air and draped in a fabric which matched her skirt, making her look every bit the giant that she is. She kicked off the set with her rendition of Iggy Pop’s “Nightclubbing,” then was lowered to stage level, where she did a quick costume change on the side for the next song, “This Is,” sporting a mask and a sharp pantsuit. She changed outfits yet again after that, for her version of the Pretenders’ “Private Life.”
The clothing and accessory changes didn’t stop there, but continued throughout the night as Grace performed some of her biggest hits, both originals and covers, including “My Jamaican Guy,” “Demolition Man,” Roxy Music’s “Love Is the Drug,” and “Pull Up to the Bumper.” At one point, she did a stirring version of “Amazing Grace,” awing the crowd. For “Slave to the Rhythm,” she hula hooped her way through the entire song while singing and without missing a beat, an impressive feat for anyone, let alone a septuagenarian!
Running into the curfew at 11pm, she closed out the night with a singalong of Edith Piaf’s “La vie en rose,” with moderate success, since the crowd did not quite know the French lyrics. See pictures from the show by Ellen Qbertplaya, attendee-taken videos, and her setlist below.
Grace will be back in NYC to support Duran Duran at their Forest Hills Stadium show on September 22 (tickets).
SETLIST: GRACE JONES @ HAMMERSTEIN BALLROOM, 5/31/2023
Nightclubbing (Iggy Pop cover)
This Is
Private Life (Pretenders cover)
My Jamaican Guy
I’ve Seen That Face Before (Libertango)
Demolition Man
Williams’ Blood
Amazing Grace (John Newton cover)
Love Is the Drug (Roxy Music cover)
Pull Up to the Bumper
Slave to the Rhythm
Hurricane
La vie en rose (Édith Piaf cover)