A singer as talented as Lalah Hathaway deserved a better sound system than the City Winery supplied Monday evening.

I attended the first of six Hathaway performances at the West Loop venue. I was excited to see her return to her hometown and to hear her live for the first time in over thirty years.

Our front row seats provided an excellent vantage point to experience her charm and engaging smile. Her band, which went by the name "Legally Blynd," highlighted by singer/guitarist Jubu Smith, was top-notch. They played two songs before Lalah took the stage, and Jubu joined her in a duet during her set.

I had the pleasure of seeing Ms. Hathaway perform decades ago in suburban Detroit when she toured with legendary keyboardist Joe Sample. She was early in her career, and her voice was fresh and youthful. That voice has matured since then, adding a range of tone and emotion.

It is no surprise that Lalah knows how to handle an audience. She is the daughter of legendary soul singer Donnie Hathaway, who passed along talent and influence to his daughter.

Ms. Hathaway's voice is as amazing as you would expect from the daughter of soul legend Donnie Hathaway. She dazzled the nearly sold-out venue with her selection of soulful melodies. Songs like "Baby Don't Cry" and "Angel" inspired he crowd to sing along. But the bass and drums overpowered her vocals throughout the night. And no one was here to listen to the bass and drums. We came for Lalah's voice. It was great, but we wanted more.