Well it's 5 days since my last gig so I simply had to see another one!

Last night I press-ganged Owen into going to see New Soul Diva Angie Stone in the third of her four nights at the Jazz Cafe.

I have been a fan since her first solo album BLACK DIAMOND in 1999 but have somehow always managed to miss her live - luckily I think as to see her up close and personal at the JC was a wonderfully soulful experience.

Owen and I were sat on the first level allegedly having dinner before the show but an obvious cock-up in the kitchen resulted in us getting fed 5 minutes before Angie appeared, I got a lovely smile from her as she walked past but maybe it was my Salmon she was looking at?

I was a bit thrown at first as her first two songs, "Baby" and "Sometimes" are my favourites off her new album THE ART OF LOVE & WAR and as I was wolfing down Salmon and a salad I couldn't really give myself over to them. However it wasn't long before the Salmon was left to one side so I could concentrate on some serious swaying and head-nodding. She soon opened up too and showed a warm and funny personality exhorting the audience to copy her vocal backing lines and dance moves.

Surprisingly she only did the two tracks from her new album so we were treated to some deep, organic Soul from BLACK DIAMONDS ("My Story", "Everyday") MAHOGANY SOUL ("Brotha", "Easier Said Than Done" - v happy to sing along with that! - "Pissed Off", "More Than A Woman") and STONE LOVE ("I Wanna Thank Ya", "Lovers Ghetto", "Remy Red", "Touch It"). Halfway through she introduced UK nu-Brit Soul veteran Omar to the stage to duet on William DeVaughn's "Be Thankful" and his composition "Little Boy". It turns out she is a huge fan of his so go know.

She finished off with two audience favourites BLACK DIAMOND's "No More Rain In This Cloud" and MAHOGANY SOUL's "Wish I Didn't Miss You" with it's inspired use of the intro from the O'Jays' "Backstabbers".

The show was all the more remarkable in hindsight after I found out while reading up on her just now that she had heart surgery last year before she went into the studio to record the new album. You would never know it from her energetic and hard work on stage. I would definitely like to see her again.