Fans of rhythm and blues, gospel, jazz, and soul converged at the majestic Athenauem Theatre in Melbourne to watch Vika Bull with the Essential R&B Band perform At Last: The Etta James Story.
Etta James? Doesn’t ring a bell? The ballsy, bluesy voice will. Her influence can be heard in the likes of Amy Winehouse, Adele, even Janis Joplin, to name a few.
Born in 1938, James’ extensive career spanned over five decades. She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Blues Hall of Fame in 2001. Her musical accolades include six Grammys and 17 Blues Music Awards.
But, like Winehouse and other gifted musicians from various eras, James was challenged with drug addiction, stints in rehab, and other far less glamorous sides to success. She died in 2012.
Pitched as a “narrative concert”, the two hour show gradually reveals details of James’s tumultuous life and remarkable career through narration, in between cracking renditions of her rhythm and blues classics.
Some of her biggest hits were performed, including “Tell Mama”, “I Just Wanna Make Love To You”, “Pushover”, “I’d Rather Go Blind”, the sublimely soulful “At Last” and the rockin’ “Dance With Me Henry”.
“Henry” was the first single James released, back in 1955 when she was barely 17. Performed with swinging vivacity by Bull and the band, they stuck to the original lyrics and title, “Roll With Me Henry”. While “roll with me” in a song wouldn’t bat an eyelid these days, back then it was considered too risqué and faced the possibility of radio censorship, so “roll” was out and “dance” stepped in for the recording.
The insightful narration was shared by both Bull and acclaimed trumpet player Tibor Gyapjas. With plenty of acting experience under his belt, Gyapjas moved easily between roles of musician and narrator.
However some of the earlier blocks of script sounded a little like a Wikepedia entry, and, whether it was due to initial technical issues with their headsets or because the script was a little too long-winded in parts, both Bull and Gyapjas had a few struggles with their lines at the start.
But the hiccups quickly passed and both the script and the delivery soon loosened up with humour, pathos, and a genuine respect for the talent of the life being conveyed. Overall, hearing the details of James’s life story was a valuable addition to the show and definitely provided a greater appreciation of the music.
And the music? Well, let’s just say Vika Bull sure can do Etta James.
She oozed the grit, the gutsiness and the grandeur of James from her heart, her soul, and the soft stuff inside her bones. Her rendition of the piano ballad “Fool That I Am” was simply stunning. Other highlights included “It’s A Man’s World”, a song James thought she could sing because, Bull explained, it was true.
Bull had top-notch backing from the Essential R&B Band with John McAll on piano (also the show’s musical director), Chris Bekker on bass, Dion Hirini on guitar, John Watson on drums, Ben Gillespie on backup vocals and trombone, Remco Keijzer on sax and of course Gyapjas on trumpet.
With Bull’s knock-out vocals, the entire performance was incredibly passionate, sincerely soulful, and at times, even downright funky. The seats of the Athenaeum were literally rocking with toe-tappin’ energy from a genuinely appreciative audience.
Of course the best is always saved until last, and the crowd hung on each soulful intonation as Bull poured James into to every note of her iconic song “At Last”.
James had said that if there’s one song that sums up her life, it would have to be “Take It To The Limit” by The Eagles, which she performed often from 1977. It was the perfect encore for the evening’s performance, delivered by Bull and the band with enough emotion to pull a tear from the eye, and garnering an extraordinarily well-earned standing ovation.
