Vanessa Collier is best known for her work with the blues. She has been nominated for the Blues Music Award twelve times, and won four times including Horn Player of the Year, Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year, and B.B. King Entertainer of the Year. Her latest album, 2014’s “Do It My Own Way,” shows that she has been influenced by legendary soul artists such as Aretha Franklin, James Brown, and Mavis Staples. The album is also reminiscent of the Memphis sound of Hi Records and Stax Records, as well as the Staples Singers.
The fourth track on the album, “Wild as a Rainstorm,” is pure soul music and reinforces the tie to Memphis, as it features the Rev. Charles Hodges, the Hi Records organist. The song further celebrates the Memphis sound with horn arrangements, layering vocals, and saxophone solos that are both powerful and poignant. Collier wears numerous hats on the album, producing, writing, arranging vocals and horns, and playing flute, saxophone, and guitars.
Collier is a native of Dallas, Texas and graduated from Berklee College of Music with dual degrees in Music Production & Engineering, and Performance. At the college’s commencement concert, Collier was invited to perform with Willie Nelson and Annie Lennox. A review says:
“This was as sophisticated a performance as it gets.”
Collier will be at the Ludlow Garage on Thursday, February 19. Using poster printing, organizers can create advertising for events like this.