TORONTO -- Old-school soul doesn't get much better than last night's pairing of Tina Turner and Joe Cocker -- aged 60 and 56, respectively -- at the Air Canada Centre.

Both headliner Turner and opening act Cocker passionately and expertly represented the genre, along with a major helping of downhome blues, rock and gospel, before a sold-out crowd of 17,000.

Turner, who insists she's taking part in the last world stadium tour of her 40-year career, was just at the same venue in June, and last night's show -- the first of a two-night stand -- was virtually the same slick, sexy affair.

There was the same impressive, modern silver stage with an elevated catwalk that swung out over the crowd during the final song, Nutbush City Limits; the same big band (minus Toronto actress-turned-backup singer Gloria Reuben of ER fame); the same shiny, black, tight-fitting jumpsuit that Turner squeezed her luscious self into, and almost the exact same set list.

It didn't really matter.

Half of the time at a Turner concert is spent just marvelling at her still gorgeous physical state -- her legs, her body, her face, her energy, her presence, her vocal power.

The whole package is awe-inspiring. So are her interpretations of songs like River Deep, Mountain High, You Better Be Good To Me, Let's Stay Together, What's Love Got To Do With It, Simply The Best and Proud Mary.

Given Turner, who opened the show again with Sly And The Family Stone's I Wanna Take You Higher, is so obviously still in her prime, it makes you wonder why she's even hanging up her stiletto heels.

"We're just having fun," she said after an elaborate and lengthy version of Private Dancer. And it really seemed like she was.

Cocker also proved to be a major crowd pleaser. The British singer, dressed in head-to-toe black, won over the Canadian crowd immediately by opening his hour-long set with First We Take Manhattan.

The Leonard Cohen-penned cover is from Cocker's recently-released new album, No Ordinary World, which was minimally represented last night.

Instead, the wildly-animated, gravely-voiced Cocker and his tight, five-piece band mainly stuck to classics from his three-decade-long career.

Cocker, all arm and hand gestures, is perhaps one of the few singers who can easily move from Traffic's gospel-like Feelin' Alright to Bob Marley's signature reggae tune Could You Be Loved without skipping a beat.

His spastic body movements are legendary, but it's clear he feels the music coming at him and then projects it back out towards the crowd for an exquisite connection.

Even something as sappy as Up Where We Belong, a duet with one of his two talented backup singers, had a hair-raising moment when he let loose with one of his famous, sustained screams.

Other highlights included You Are So Beautiful -- even if Cocker struggled to hit the high notes -- You Can Leave Your Hat On , The Letter and the evening's truly thrilling standout, A Little Help From My Friends.

Turner and Cocker's show tomorrow night at the ACC is also sold out.

JAM! Rating: 5 out of 5