Mos Def is no stranger to versatility. Yet even for someone who has become an accomplished actor in movies and theatre (Monster’s Ball, Top Dog/Underdog), led a rap-rock band (Black Jack Johnson), and evolved into one of the most critically popular MCs in hip-hop, the thought of him as a jazz bandleader most likely raised an eyebrow among many of his fans.

But over the course of 6 sold-out shows on Valentine's Day weekend, the musician and his excellently-assembled jazz backing band proved that with his talent, he could probably conduct a philharmonic or master Lithuanian folk songs if he wanted to. Right from the beginning, as jazz pianist Orrin Evans’ cool jazz smoothly entered the ears of the Blue Note crowd, it was clear that this was not going to be a hip-hop show with a little jazz. This was 100% jazz led by a man who also happens to rap.

As Def sauntered back and forth on stage before seating himself at the front, he was, whether knowingly or not, setting the casual vibe that would linger throughout much of the 2-hour set. The intimacy of Blue Note, the historic club known more for bringing in jazz musicians than hip-hop stars, was the perfect setting for the latest
installment of the Another Side Series, created by Jill Newman Productions last July to allow artists to explore other genres than those for which they are traditionally known.

While each band member played their respective solos at the beginning of the show, Def began to dance around the room, encouraging a communal feel and trying to bring a greater interactivity to the concert. Hip-hop and jazz shows vary greatly in the level of enthusiasm the respective crowds are traditionally supposed to show. Where most rappers thrive on hyping their audience up as much as possible, many jazz shows are played with a subdued, hushed aura. While this show leaned toward the latter (let’s not forget this was a jazz show), Def did successfully blur this line, alternatively acting as rambunctious rally leader and crowd-soother.

Through it all though, he remained the consummate bandleader, directing the musicians and talking to the crowd before each song about whatever was on his mind. After delivering his rant on Valentine’s Day, (“I don’t like teddy bears, chocolate. It ain’t real. Ain’t nobody really in love. Real love is more like, 'Where you going? You went out last night!’”), Def went into Seal’s vocals on his 1991 hit “Crazy.” As the band started playing Beyonce's "Crazy in Love," (Get it?) soon after, Def’s Seal homage transformed into scat vocals and finally into a call-and-response of “ohs” that was a highlight of the show.

This modern element was the exception to the rule in the beginning, however, as the band stuck to older songs like Miles Davis’ “Bitches Brew” and Gil Scott-Heron’s “New York City.” For the former, the band used the fusion classic as a starting point for their own original jamming, with a buildup built around Wallace Roney's trumpet and John Benitez’s ominous bass-playing. The latter saw Def rapping over a laid-back groove anchored around ex-Living Color drummer (and fellow Black Jack Johnson member) Will Calhoun.

That’s not to say that hip-hop wasn’t represented at all. Hell, virtually the entire back half revolved around hip-hop songs. But the songs performed that night by Mos Def and his backing band resembled the originals in basic structure only, removing most of the hip-hop elements and putting a thoroughly cool jazz feel to each song. Outkast’s "Prototype,” an already slow, romantic ballad was slowed down even more and proved to be the best showcase for Def's talented singing voice. While always coming back to the original melody, the group excelled in their individual solos (including Def’s a cappella singing). The mood was quiet to the point of being sanctimonious, as even the slightest whisper by an audience member would have probably been greeted with nearby scowls.

The vibe stayed mellow for a while, despite a buoyant, reggae-infused version of Slick Rick’s “Hey Young World,” as the band completely revamped Whodini’s “Friends.” What was once a synth-heavy dance song became a plaintive, somber number. When Def’s restrained vocals began to repeat the classic phrase, “Friends; how many of us have them?" and he reeled off a list of deceased musicians, an almost eerie chill set in among the crowd and you couldn’t be sure if the band would try to end on a more upbeat note.

However, by the time Mos Def kicked a spoken-word verse and led the crowd in a “The people, united, can never be defeated” chant, the exuberance was back and the crowd became more energized than ever before. The band continued not to stray too far from their jazz roots, locking into a groove that would end the night on an upbeat note, yet still keep the cool jazz sound the building was so famously known for. Those who came to the show expecting to hear hip-hop were probably disappointed. This was not a hip-hop show; nor was it a fusion of jazz and hip-hop along the lines of Guru's Jazzmatazz or Buckshot Lefonque. This was a jazz show, led by a versatile and talented entertainer primarily known for his contribution to hip-hop. The night was truly unique and one can only hope more artists can branch out as successful as Mos Def did that night.

Mos Def will appear with M.O.P., Gang Starr, Slick Rick and others March 9th at B.B. King's in New York City before beginning filming on “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.”

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