ALICIA KEYS PERFORMING @ THE BEACON THEATRE FOR THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF KEYS!

Alicia Keys circled back to the start of her career Thursday night.
From the stage of the Beacon Theatre, she performed alone at the piano, the instrument that gave her songs their first grounding and selling point.

The show, logically dubbed "Piano and I," doubled as a believe-it-or-not 10th anniversary celebration of Keys' debut CD "Songs in A Minor," a blockbuster that doubled as a game-changer.

When Keys performed a song from that CD, like "A Woman's Worth," at last night's show, it didn't seem far removed from the tone and structure of current R&B-pop.

But when it first appeared, in 2001, it signaled a bold return to broader melody and deeper soulfulness in contrast to the rhythm-obsessed, hip-hop-inflected R&B of its day.

The result catapulted the then-20-year-old singer into superstardom, aided by a full-bore promotional assault by a still-robust music industry.

Now, 10 years removed, the 30-year-old appeared far less the cocky upstart than the confident star taking a victory lap.

It helped that the spare setting - and accompaniment - greatly flattered her talents. In her more elaborate recent tours, Keys has appeared out of place, trying to conform to a theatrical style more natural to flashy stars like Beyoncé.

Here, with the piano once again her anchor, Keys was back in her element. The setup also provided the best way to showcase the sturdy bones of her melodies, as well as the purity of her vocals.

Keys didn't only salute her own star last night. She put her songs in the context of those soul touchstones that inspired her, including covers of Mary J. Blige's "Real Love" and Marvin Gaye's "Trouble Man."

She gave the latter her own forceful inflections, while she put a spin on the Beatles' "Blackbird" that both emphasized its original racial intent and offered her own high-flying spin.

In her own song, "Troubled," she showed the jazzy play of her chords, expanding her original version with more elaborate and inventive runs.

Her take on "Fallen" reasserted it as a modern soul standard.

While "A Minor" provided the show's centerpiece, Keys didn't skimp on hits from other albums, like "Diary" and "You Don't Know My Name."

Ironically, Keys' songs never sounded more varied or full than when performed in this whittled-down format. It proves she does best with the least.


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