In a performance worthy of any venue in Canada, the Vanessa Collier band performed at Holy Rosary Hall last night to an enthralled audience.
No less than three standing ovations greeted the artist making her second appearance in Thorold.
The Texas-born, Philadelphia-raised, and Berklee trained musician is currently nominated for two Blues Music Awards, to be handed out in Memphis on May 9.
The 28-year-old has exploded onto the music scene in just a few short years, first gaining notoriety playing with Hall of Fame icon Joe Louis Walker.
But striking out with her own band, her nominations put her among an elite club of female performers including Beth Hart, Samantha Fish, and Shemekia Copeland in the Best Contemporary Blues Female category. Collier is also nominated for best instrumentalist (horn).
Last night her talent, passion and energy were immediately evident as she seamlessly moved from saxophone to vocals without missing a breath, with equal intensity and energy. Her lyrics and genuine appreciation for those who influenced her also reflect a sincere presence that was palpable.
In fact, there was an element of irony to the evening as much of Niagara was suffering through power outages, while Collier brought enough electricity to the stage to illuminate Thorold well beyond the walls of the venue.
Collier's young band had no trouble matching her intensity and ability, forming a tight, talented ensemble clearly handpicked to suit her phrasing, style and genre of choice.
Guitarist Laura Chavez is well-known in the blues world, having worked with Candye Kane. Chavez was labelled as "The real deal," by Blues Blast magazine and was featured on a Guitar Player magazine cover in an issue of "50 Sensational Female Guitarists."
Bass player Adrian Taylor and drummer Nick Stevens provided the perfect rhythm section to the young dynamo and are both classically trained musicians.
Stevens holds a bachelor's and master's degree in percussion performance from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. He's also worked with Carmel Symphony Orchestra, the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra, Columbus Indiana Philharmonic, and was an Associate Instructor, Percussion, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Taylor studied music theory and composition at Indiana University, South Bend.
There is little doubt the band will soon return to the appreciative Niagara blues fans but with her meteoric rise, it may not be long before only venues like the First Ontario Performing Arts Centre or Massey Hall will house her audience.
