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King Solomon holds forth - photo courtesy of Montreux Jazz Festival

Montreux, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Solomon Burke or King Solomon as he would have it, cut a large figure at first glance both literally and figuratively last night at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Unfortunately for the audience, neither the oversized crown at centre stage, nor the red sequin dress-clad performers in his lineup were able to translate a string of doo wops and medleys into a royal fest.

What could have been the evening’s best dance/jam party, based on  the quantity of talent on hand – Burke’s lineup included violin and viola players, backing vocals, a horn section and two guitarists – literally turned into an audience sing-along of old favourites, with Burke taking requests. Frustratingly, Burke, whose voice is naturally booming and soul-stirring, kept telling his band, and presumably himself, to “slow down and take it easy,” making us wonder what he would sound like unleashed. “Will you rock with me?” Burke asked at one point during the evening, but the promise was never fully met.

Ed. note: See the GenevaLunch coverage of the 2009 Montreux Jazz Festival, including the complete collection of Jared Bloch’s reviews – George Duke, George Benson, Rachelle Ferrell and more!