James delivers strong set in short time

ETTA JAMES & THE ROOTS BAND, Red Butte Garden Amphitheater, June 4

"At Last" came too soon.

At Red Butte Garden Thursday night, Etta James proved in a very short time what makes her one of the most influential singers in blues and soul history.

Whether singing torch ballads such as "I'd Rather Be a Blind Girl" or blazing through "Piece of My Heart," the 71-year-old singer delivered a performance more daring and impressive than most singers half her age.

The only problem, however, was that short time is exactly that: less than hour of stage time for the diva. James only sang nine songs, and left the amphitheater without playing an encore.

What's more is that the crowd deserved an encore. Although not sold-out, James' fans filled the venue and — defying the typical tradition of Red Butte crowds to sit on their hands — rose to their feet at her entrance and stood for much of her show, dancing energetically on the fast-paced songs and romantically on the ballads.

Despite the brevity of her show, James still delivered a solid set. Although the crowd seemed to enjoy her upbeat, funky numbers the best, the most impressive moments were the ballads that gave James a chance to put her amazing, versatile voice on display.

Among those few quieter moments, "A Lover Is Forever" was outstanding, as it featured James singing nearly a capella, backed only by a delicately strummed rhythm guitar.

Not that the fast-paced numbers were not enjoyable. In fact, James had a nearly perfect balance of fast and slow songs, working the crowd into a lather with songs such as "Love and Happiness" before taking a breather on a ballad.

On many of those faster songs, especially her first song, "Come to Mama," she also seemed to work herself into a lather with a variety of stage moves that involved preening, gyrating and groping herself in ways that seemed to generate a mixture of shock, bewilderment and excitement from the crowd.

Of course, she only had to maintain that balance for a mere 60 minutes, and less if you discount the intro and outro instrumentals played by her excellent backing band, The Roots Band.

Finally, there was "At Last," a song sung by Beyonce at the inauguration ball for President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle.

Since then, James has bashed both Obama and Beyonce, although she did not do either on Thursday night. She simply sang the song and promptly left the stage, leaving fans wanting more and fearing they may never get it.

Opening for James were local blues band, The Legendary Porch Pounders, who played a stellar acoustic blues set that lasted almost as long as James' set. They included a mix of originals and classic blues, and multiple times paid tribute to Koko Taylor, another legendary singer, who died Wednesday and who the Porch Pounders opened for at Red Butte, exactly three years earlier.

E-mail: jloftin@desnews.com