As one of the greatest Dutch divas, Ruth Jacott can look back on a great career. One of the highlights was her role as Billie Holiday in a musical about the famous singer. On Simply The Best we see Jacott back in the theater with a show in which she performs songs by Holiday and other great singers such as Diana Ross and Shirley Bassey. Jacott pays a grand and also sincere tribute to the stars of
… earlier times, although she says she is 'very proud of the new generation'. Here she is not referring to Edsilia Rombley or Glennis Grace, but to Beyoncé Knowles, whose voluptuous Single Ladies she covers. It fits in perfectly with the concept of the show, of course, but the shoe twists a bit. As a Dutch singer, her resume pales in comparison to that of the international superstar she is so proud of. The fact that Jacott often slightly imitates the voices of her examples during her homages, also becomes irritating after a while. Jacott is a great singer and has enough hits to stand on her own two feet, but as an interpreter of the work of others, she misses something strangely enough this time. (JE)more
