Queen Latifah is one of the world’s top multi-media stars.

The 37-year-old New Jersey native, born Dana Owens, has found equal measures of success both in the film realm and the music business. She’s released five gold/platinum CDs, which have scored a combined six Grammy nominations and one actual Grammy, and she’s an Oscar-nominated actor who has appeared in such top films as “Living Out Loud,’’ “Chicago’’ and “Hairspray.’’

The Queen has also received an Emmy nomination, for her work in the TV film “Life Support,’’ as well done time as a celebrity spokeswoman for Cover Girl cosmetics and Pizza Hut.

One doesn’t become that kind of Jacqueline-of-all-trades based on talent alone _ although, this Queen has that in spades _ it also takes quite a bit of acumen. That’s also something that Latifah has in abundance and she’s continually shown an uncanny knack of knowing how to make the right moves at the right times.

She’s definitely a sharp cookie, which is why it came as a surprise that her show on Sunday night (Nov. 25) at Davies Symphony Hall turned out to be somewhat of a letdown. Again, we’re use to seeing the vocalist make all the right moves, but that didn’t turn out to be the case when the Queen came to San Francisco in support of her recently released “Trav’lin’ Light.’’

The concert started out incredibly strong as Latifah took the stage with her 12-piece band _ including two percussionists, a three-piece horn section and three backing vocalists _ and immediately dove into the new album for a jazzy double shot of “I’m Gonna Live Till I Die’’ and “I Love Being Here With You.’’

Latifah, who wore a modest black blouse and matching pants, then proceeded to flip back to 2004’s “The Dana Owens Album’’ and tear through a mighty version of the blues song “Baby Get Lost.’’ Her big, bold voice was so perfectly suited for this kind of number that one wished she would’ve stayed the course and belted out more blues tunes (especially Nina Simone’s “I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl,’’ which Latifah recorded on “Trav’lin’ Light’’).

Instead, she continued to jump through the genres and perform a mixed bag’s worth of tunes. On the plus side were restrained, jazz-oriented versions of “Georgia Rose’’ and “Trav’lin’ Light.’’ On the negative was, to be blunt, the last third of the 100-minute show.

After thrilling the crowd for most of the night, Latifah really let this one get away from her as she approached the finish line. Notably, she stretched out the “Dana Owens’’ track “Simply Beautiful’’ to a nearly unbearable, and unrecognizable, length. It was the type of rendition that even the Grateful Dead might have deemed excessive.

She closed the main set with a poorly arranged version of the old Mamas and the Papas’ hit “California Dreamin’’’ that felt entirely anticlimactic. What could have saved things was if the star had returned to the stage and relived her greatest triumph _ her Oscar-nominated role in “Chicago’’ _ by singing “When You’re Good to Mama.’’ Alas, that showstopper was explicably left off the set list.

In all, it was a likable enough evening of music. Yet, given what we known about Queen Latifah, it should have been way more than that.