Perspective key in appreciating this diva

Spencer Patterson

Monday, March 14, 2005 | 8:09 a.m.

Bad idea.

Sure, the comment -- which kicked off Keys' 1930s, Cotton Club-themed "Uptown Saturday Night" tour stop at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel -- was partially tongue in cheek.

"I reached out to Ms. Ella Fitzgerald, Ms. Lena Horne and Ms. Billie Holiday, and they couldn't be here," Keys' hype man boomed. "But we found someone in the back who can sing."

Still, setting up a comparison between Keys and those three legendary ladies of jazz seems an ill-conceived concept for a 24-year-old still coming into her own as a performer.

Not that Keys doesn't have the clout to try it. The Manhattan native is coming off a February that saw her win four Grammy Awards, bringing her total to a whopping nine after just two albums.

And in her defense, there probably aren't any other big-name R&B stars out there who would dare to scale back an arena-sized production, jazz it up and take it to the clubs.

After a solid but unspectacular opening set by newcomer John Legend, a Kanye West protege with a voice reminiscent of Stevie Wonder's, Keys arrived onstage to a thunderous ovation from the sold-out crowd of around 1,500.

She kept her fans on their feet for the next 20 minutes with a breathtaking opening segment.

Backed by a five-piece jazz band and three vocalists, all dressed in smart, white tuxedos, Keys worked through her first four numbers -- "Karma," "Jane Doe," "Rock Wit U" and "Heartburn" -- without pause.

The confident headliner darted around the small stage singing, dancing, playing the keyboard and eventually coming to rest on an upholstered chaise lounge as two of her singers fanned her off.

Even when Keys addressed her delirious audience midway through the segment, her band continued laying down a funky beat, in the tradition of concerts by James Brown or Prince.

After her frantic opening stretch, Keys harnessed her energy and sat at a black grand piano, where she delivered powerful versions of "If I Was Your Woman/ Walk on By" and "A Woman's Worth," showing off her muscular yet elegant voice.

Naturally, momentum sagged somewhat when Keys exited three times, once for a costume change from a revealing white tube-top ensemble into a black evening gown.

Although her musicians continued performing, with saxophonist Dave Watson delivering a primo reading of "Summertime" at one point, the crowd seemed to grow restless during Keys' absences.

Keys' songs, including a swinging take on Prince's "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?" and a dramatic rendition of "Diary," immediately refocused the room's attention, however.

Just in case those tunes hadn't re-awakened the audience, Keys' closing run through a trio of megahits -- "Fallin'," "You Don't Know My Name" and "If I Ain't Got You" -- certainly did.

"Fallin'," the song that has inspired a generation of awful "American Idol" hopefuls, put those wanna-bes to shame, while "If I Ain't Got You" provided a fitting final showcase for Keys' soulful vocals.

Somewhat less successful were mid-show number "Girlfriend," which came off like a vapid Janet Jackson pop number from the 1980s, and a cover of Holiday's "Good Morning Heartache," which was pleasant enough but never quite soared.

Keys deserves points for even attempting the latter, and for trying to reach back to a classic, elegant musical era for inspiration.

Holiday, Fitzgerald and Horne might have even approved. If only the announcer had left them out of it.