Janet is back in form, looking great, sounding strong and dancing spectacularly. The “No. 1s” show is a reward to the loyal fans who have stood by her side throughout the 25 years since her breakthrough album, “Control,” took the world by storm.

By CHRIS BOURNEA

Staff Writer

COLUMBUS OHIO -- It’s hard to believe summer is already over and the kids are back to school. The following is a look at the highlights of the concerts that came through Ohio during the summer concert season.

After a 10-year absence, Sade returned to the concert stage with her “Soldier of Love” tour. Her long-awaited return was a welcome one, since she is still in tip-top shape vocally and otherwise.

During her appearance in Columbus at the Schottenstein Center, Sade took the crowd on a retrospective of her 25-year career, performing early hits such as “Your Love Is King” and “Smooth Operator” to more recent material such as “King of Sorrow” from her last studio album, 2000’s “Lovers Rock.”

Throughout the show, it was clear that Sade invested a lot of time, thought and energy into the presentation of her music. The “Soldier of Love” tour had outstanding production value, with billowy curtains descending at various times and morphing into video screens. Sade also proved she’s not a flat-footed singer, breaking out and dancing at certain points in the show, sometimes in sync with her two male background singers.

If seeing Sade after a decade wasn’t enough, she brought Springfield, Ohio, native John Legend along with her as an opening act. Like Sade, his set also spanned hits from his debut to the present, from the moving ballad “Ordinary People” to the chart-topping dance-floor hit “Green Light.”

Another summer highlight was Janet Jackson’s long-overdue return to the concert stage after a decade. Her “No. 1s: Up Close and Personal” tour is her first full-scale outing since her 2001 “All For You” tour. Instead of the huge arenas that she normally performs in, Miss Jackson has opted for intimate venues such as Cincinnati’s PNC Pavilion, where she performed Aug. 11, and Cleveland’s Jacobs pavilion, where she brought her show the following night on Aug. 12.

Janet is back in form, looking great, sounding strong and dancing spectacularly. The “No. 1s” show is a reward to the loyal fans who have stood by her side throughout the 25 years since her breakthrough album, “Control,” took the world by storm.

Janet wowed her fans with all the familiar choreography, executing routines from the “Nasty,” “Miss You Much” and “If” videos. At one point in the show, she took a seat and crooned some of her most popular ballads, including “Come Back to Me,” “Again” and “Nothing,” her most recent single from the “Why Did I Get Married Too” soundtrack.

Janet paid tribute to Michael by performing “Scream,” their 1995 duet, as the elaborate, black-and-white music video played in the background and closing the show with her dance hit “Together Again” while displaying childhood photos of her and her beloved older brother.

Music fans took another walk down memory lane when R&B star Al B. Sure performed at the grand opening of Martha’s Soul Food Bistro and Ultra Lounge in Columbus on Aug. 6. Exhibiting showmanship that hasn’t faded with time, Sure performed hits from his 1988 debut album “In Effect Mode,” including “Off on Your Own Girl,” “Nite and Day” and “Rescue Me.”

Another popular summer attraction in Columbus is the King Arts Complex Heritage Concert Series, held in Mayme Moore Park adjacent to the Complex every Thursday evening. One of this year’s highlights was a performance by the Dazz Band. The group, which started in Cleveland more than 30 years ago, got the thousands who turned out for their show on their feet with hits such as “Let It Whip,” even coaxing Mayor Michael B. Coleman onstage to sing and dance.

And of course no summer would be complete with the Ohio State Fair. This year’s lineup included Buckeye favorites, the legendary O’Jays of Cleveland, and neo-soul stars Avant, Chrisette Michelle and Tank.