Scott, Keys Energize R&B; at Cooldown

Timing is sometimes everything in pop music. Evidence enough was this year’s edition of the KKBT (“The Beat”) Holiday Cooldown at the Wiltern Theatre on Sunday, a concert that coincided with the accelerating renaissance in R&B; and the emergence of major young talents Jill Scott and Alicia Keys.

Both have joined a growing crowd of new artists returning real soul to R&B;, drawing on the legacies of Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder in a mix that includes the energy and edge of hip-hop. So if earlier editions of the Cooldown have sometimes reflected less inspired periods in the genre, the presence of Keys and Scott alone turned Sunday’s concert into a powerful event.

There were other worthwhile moments in the four-hour concert, including sets by Faith Evans and Ginuwine and beginning with an a cappella “Silent Night” by the local quartet Inspire that was soaring and fittingly soulful.

But the night was fully ignited early on by the 40-minute set by Scott, shuffling soul, jazz and spoken word into a sound that was both smooth and wildly spontaneous. Reciting the words of “Love Rain,” Scott spilled over with anger and affection, grabbing her microphone stand while desperately repeating, “You broke me, but I’m healing!”

Scott sang, spoke and improvised at will, without ever tripping up her polished, six-piece band, which shifted gears at her every whim. That meant vocals loose enough to drop in a moment or two of scat singing, a sudden burst of operatic volume or the sound of turntable scratching.

Drawing largely on her 2000 debut album, “Who Is Jill Scott?,” the singer was an often outspoken, theatrical presence, even stepping away from the microphone to sermonize the front rows on self-respect, mixed-race couples and Britney Spears. “Sometimes I have to watch my mouth,” she told the crowd, “but not today.”

Keys was not quite as explosive, but her stripped-down set offered a sophisticated touch, at times suggesting the range and power of a key influence, Wonder. Like Scott, Keys is a new artist offering a potent mix of old and new, with her piano work even reaching back to classical traditions.

Sitting behind a keyboard at center stage, Keys performed with the relatively spare backing of a second keyboardist, a guitarist and three singers, drawing the focus even tighter on her own chops as a singer and instrumentalist. “We’re going to do it real raw tonight,” Keys promised, “and I like it like that.”

Songs from her recent debut, “Songs in A Minor,” were tough and hopeful, beginning with the defiant “A Woman’s Worth,” while the sly melody of the smoky “How Come You Don’t Call Me” was rooted enough in gospel to be at home in either a church or a club.

Evans’ lively, funk-fueled pop was less distinctive than the music of Keys and Scott, though her moving “I Love You” set vulnerable vocals in a rich, seductive ballad that could have emerged in the soul-rich ‘70s.

The biggest surprise in the performance of heartthrob Ginuwine was how powerful a voice he had at his disposal on the few occasions he chose to use it. He provided the night’s flashiest set, tearing off his shirt amid dancing as dozens of young women rushed the stage. But it was all set to music that was easily the least worthwhile of a memorable night.