| "This
Valentines got the Blues" |
Looking for something creative to do on Valentine's Day? Come to The
Old Rock House to enjoy a romantic evening, including a prime rib
dinner, and experience an amazing & emotional musical performance.
Sunday,
February 14 • Doors: 6pm Dinner: 6:30pm Show: 8pm • $25
(includes Dinner) • $12 (Admission Only) • Over 21 Only
• Buy
Tickets at metrotix.com
“A superb, powerhouse R&B singer who delivers blues
and soul with show-stopping authority” –Los Angeles Daily
News“Janiva Magness slow-burns and romps heart-first…she
never injects contrived emotion, never puts a tear in her voice where
one doesn’t belong. She simply sings heartbreak, hunger and
humor—sings ‘em with equally great chops and feeling—and
lets that speak for itself.” – No Depression
The story of award-winning vocalist Janiva Magness’ rise to
the top of the blues world and beyond is a testament to the redemptive
power of music and the human spirit. Possessing a rich, soulful voice
and absolute command over her material, Magness is an incredibly gifted
performer who can lead her audience through a range of emotions, from
the deepest sorrow to overwhelming joy. A survivor of an impossibly
rough childhood, Magness’ life experience informs her music
in a way that is brutally honest, emotionally moving and, above all,
spiritually healing.
Winner of the 2006 and 2007 Blues Music Awards for Best Contemporary
Female Artist Of The Year, Magness has seven solo recordings to her
credit and has made guest appearances on CDs by R.L. Burnside and
many others. Her presence on stage is legendary, as she performs 200
nights a year at clubs, festivals, and concert halls all over the
world. And, in April 2008, she traveled to Iraq and Kuwait co-headlining
Bluzapalooza, the first-ever blues concert tour to perform for American
troops.
The story continues with her Alligator Records debut CD, What Love
Will Do.What Love Will Do, co-produced by Magness along with Dave
Darling (Brian Setzer, Meredith Brooks, Dan Hicks), features 13 powerful
songs, each imbued with Magness’ expressive emotional depth.
Magness reaches heights only hinted at in her previous recordings,
interpreting new material written especially for her and songs from
Little Milton, Tina Turner, Bill Withers, Al Green, Candi Staton,
Dorothy Moore and Marvin Gaye. Her impassioned singing takes each
song from deep within her being and projects it out directly into
the heart and soul of her audience, making What Love Will Do essential
listening for blues, roots, rock and soul music lovers everywhere.According
to Alligator president Bruce Iglauer, signing Magness was a natural
move for the label.
“I’ve been watching Janiva over the last few years and
seeing her mature into a major artist. Her deep, subtle understanding
of blues and R&B music is obvious in every note she sings. Plus,
her live performances simply captivate the audience. She’s a
wonderful addition to the Alligator roster, and will prove to be one
of today’s and tomorrow’s crucial roots music voices.”
And Magness is equally thrilled.
“I am so very grateful for all the gifts in my life. One of
those gifts is joining the Alligator family. I’m very excited
about this new chapter in my life.”
Born in Detroit, Magness was inspired by the blues and country she
heard listening to her father’s record collection and by the
vibrant music of the city’s classic Motown sound. By her teenage
years, though, her life was in chaos. She lost both parents to suicide
by the time she was 16. She lived on the streets, was in 12 foster
homes in two years, became a teenage mother who gave her baby daughter
up for adoption, bounced from city to city, and felt hopeless and
desperate.
One winter’s night, Magness hitchhiked across Minneapolis to
attend an Otis Rush concert, and for the first time saw a path forward.
“Otis played and sang every note with such complete and total
desperation. He was fully committed to the story he was singing. Hearing
him opened up some other place in me, like letting oxygen into a sealed
crypt for the first time.”
She began going to as many blues shows as possible, soaking up the
sounds of her favorite artists, including Johnny Copeland and Albert
Collins. She listened to James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Etta James,
and all the other R&B greats. Listening to these blues and soul
artists, and watching them live, sparked Janiva and gave her life
direction. Her first break came several years later, while working
as an intern at a recording studio. She was approached by her boss
to sing some supporting vocals on a track. Finding her voice, she
soon began working regularly as a background singer. By the early
1980s, Magness made her way to Phoenix and befriended Bob Tate, the
musical director for the great Sam Cooke.
With What Love Will Do and a major tour, and with the stars seemingly
all lined up for her, Janiva Magness continues to wring the truth
from every note she sings, amazing and delighting both old and new
fans all over the world.
- back to top
-
|
|
