Roomful of Blues
“I sing the songs that people need to hear.” So says Etta James, and who are we to disagree? The legendary singer, appearing at the Masonic Center March 10, is “an eternal fixture in the pop firmament” (The New York Times) who holds her place among the pantheon of greats in the Rock and Roll and Blues Halls of Fame, plus the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She also boasts a Grammy Lifetime Achievement award.
But all that success was hard-won. In her autobiography, Rage to Survive , Etta James relays the many personal difficulties she overcame the road to stardom. Singer Bonnie Raitt, writing to celebrate James’ selection among Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Artists of All Time,” hears that ache in James’ vocals. “There's a lot going on in Etta James' voice—a lot of pain, a lot of life but, most of all, a lot of strength. Etta has struggled through a few lifetimes of personal heartache and somehow came out the other side.”
James has explored a myriad of styles on her recent albums, affirming her place as an American treasure. “I wanna show that gospel, country, blues, rhythm and blues, jazz, rock 'n' roll are all just really one thing," James said. "Those are the American music and that is the American culture.”
Performing on the other half of the March 10 bill, San Francisco native Joe Louis Walker lights up stages regularly with his band the Bosstalkers. But for this special evening, he breaks out his acoustic guitar to deliver a set of solo acoustic blues. With a soulful voice influenced by his years as a gospel singer, Walker draws on over 40 years of experience playing with the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Magic Sam, and Mike Bloomfield. Be sure to catch this rare solo set!
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| SFJAZZ Collective members Dave Douglas (trumpet, center) and Andre Hayward (trombone, far right) jam with the High School All-Stars. |
Collective Residency Underway
The Collective is back in San Francisco! This all-star octet has been extremely busy in the rehearsal hall, working on the original compositions and arrangements of Thelonious Monk’s tunes that will make up their 2007 repertoire.
Eric Harland, the Collective’s drummer, got the idea for his arrangement of Monk’s standard “I Mean You” from his recent travels. “I just came back from India,” said Harland. “I was playing with Zakir Hussain and checking out some ragas over there. I was curious and intrigued with their rhythmic consciousness and how they deal with rhythmic cycles.”
The Collective has also kept busy sharing its knowledge with Bay Area students and SFJAZZ Members. The band’s Open Rehearsal last week gave SFJAZZ Patron-level Members a unique insight into the residency process. And Tuesday’s Master Class with the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars was an eye-opening learning experience for the young jazz stars of the future.
Tomorrow night the Collective caps off the rehearsal process with a performance of selected new material at the SFJAZZ Gala. Then after a brief rest, they light out for their inaugural Asian tour before returning to San Francisco for a double shot of concerts on March 11.
 Jazz is all about give and take and we take that open exchange of ideas very seriously here at SFJAZZ. To that end, we’ve opened up the SFJAZZ Inbox for any questions, concerns, suggestions, or compliments readers care to pass our way. Send us an e-mail with your thoughts.
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This week’s trivia question is in honor of the legendary Etta James:
What was the original title of James’ first hit “The Wallflower (Dance With Me Henry),” deemed too racy for the mid-century airwaves?
 E-mail
Your Answer (include "Wallflower"
in the subject line)
The fifth correct respondent will receive an SFJAZZ Beanie.
The
fine print: Our contest winner
will be notified directly by email, and
both the winner's name and the correct answer
to the question will be published in next
week's e-News. The following are not eligible
to enter: employees and current contractors
of SFJAZZ and its seasonal sponsors; past
e-News Jazz Trivia Contest winners. |
Though many respondents got half of last week’s question right, it was Eileen Pinto who knew both Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart are credited as the writers of “My Funny Valentine.” She wins a handsome SFJAZZ Beanie! |
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