BY KEITH HARRIS
Special to the Pioneer Press
Posted on Sat, Aug. 24, 2002

http://www.twincities.com...928036.htm

Alicia Keys faces a not-so-unusual problem for a fledgling superstar. The young R&B upstarthas released just one album, "Songs in A Minor," which consists of a mere hour of material. Her set Friday at the State Fair, however, was scheduled to last two hours. Keys obviously couldn't spend an hour introducing her band, so she had to be creative.

And so Prince's "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore" was elongated into a full-scale dramatic showpiece. From its extended opening vamp through a horn-led full band workout to a quiet interlude where Keys stalked the stage in her 4-inch heels to the close, where Keys walked over to a prop phone booth, dialed a number and loudly hung up after a male voice answered, the song took up a total of 15 minutes.

"It's not my fault he doesn't know a good thing when he has it," Keys then declared, to rampant cheers.

Do you still need filler? Well, you can stage a bizarre contest between your DJ and your band that involves a tiny MC named Freak Nasty stripping to a Michael Jackson medley. (Please don't ask me to explain, although it was fun in a carnival sideshow sort of way.)

And you can talk. About your feelings. About your love for the audience. About God. Keys' band strayed toward the jazz-fusion tendencies of funk, favoring technique and accuracy over groove.

Still, her backup singers and horn players were at least talented enough to deserve better choreography. Or were they told to clumsily swing their arms to make Keys look better, the way bridesmaids are dressed in tacky taffeta to make the bride seem more beautiful?

If so, Keys didn't need the help. Her sashaying sass is as integral to her appeal as her undeniable talent, and it's a welcome addition to the pop soundscape.

So maybe Keys' mannered piano has too much of the cocktail lounge (not to mention the recital) in its tinkling. It's still grounded in an earthiness that keeps it safely this side of genteel. She tempers R&B sexuality with chops without putting a damper on her sensuality, which is about all you can ask of a crossover princess.

In short, for all her faults, Alicia Keys is the best Alicia Keys we have right now.