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artist information

Odetta

Arguably the greatest blues diva ever, Grammy-nominated new album 'Blues Everywhere I go' is a killer.  Touring with pianist, and sometimes The Holmes Brothers.

bio... reviews...

Born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1930, and raised and schooled in Los Angeles since the age of six, ODETTA began serious studies of classical music and voice at the age of thirteen, and as a teenager she appeared at the Turnabout Theatre in Hollywood. She dreamed of being a classical singer, however she was aware that even the great Marian Anderson couldn't break through the segregationist barriers of the major opera companies. So, at eighteen, ODETTA joined the chorus of the road company tour of "Finian's Rainbow," and while in San Francisco, became exposed to folk music, learned to play the guitar, and soon began appearing at that city's popular folk clubs. Word quickly spread like wildfire across the country, of this powerful black woman singing Negro folk songs, who could shake the rafters with her voice, touch your soul with her words and move you with her dramatic presence. And she began to tour beyond the West Coast, to record and to gain support from influential artists. Upon her arrival in

Chicago for the first time, as her taxi pulled up at the Gate of Horn, Josh White and Big Bill Broonzy were waiting outside the club to show her their big-brotherly support while she was in Chicago.…. "Welcoming their little sister to the big city," she would fondly recall. And upon arriving in New York the first time, for her engagement at the Tin Angel, Pete Seeger and Harry Belafonte repeatedly came to her shows, and actively brought influential people with them who were instrumental in assisting and furthering her career. She was soon breaking ground for a black female artist in America.

ODETTA explored expanding fields of song, and showed a great depth of feeling whether she sang Negro work songs, the blues, jazz, spirituals, white Appalachian songs or English folk songs--always masterfully accompanied by her own unique guitar style. Her exploration left her with a deep passion for American folk music--determining that it is an "unique music form, because it is derived from a combination of different peoples. It came from almost every continent and country-from all those who immigrated to America, because everyone came here from somewhere else with his own music… ….American folk music became a unique blend of all people's music." Much of her research and her eventual repertoire came from The Archives of Folk Music at The Library of Congress-an institution which will remain dear to her for the remainder of her career. . . . "I'm an interpreter of folk music which encompasses more than folk songs handed down from the generations. It includes work songs, game songs, children's songs, gospel and blues….songs from people who had to entertain themselves outside of their daily work and songs for people and their emotional needs," she has say.

And in the 1950s, she recorded ground-breaking albums on Riverside, Tradition, Fantasy and Vanguard Records, brought the houses down at the Newport Festival and at her triumphant Carnegie Hall concerts, appeared on national TV Specials, toured the world's greatest stages, and she became the first major influence on the future careers of Joan Baez, Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin. Dylan was quoted, "I learned all the songs on that record, it was her first, and the songs were "Mule Skinner," "Jack of Diamonds," "Water Boy," "Buked and Scorned."

The 1960s witnessed ODETTA as a major voice in America's Civil Rights Movement. She marched with Dr. King in Selma, sang for the masses at the 1963 March on Washington, and performed for President John F. Kennedy and his cabinet on the nationally televised Special Civil Rights Program, "Dinner With The President."

By the `60s, ODETTA also earned respect as an actress, as she appeared in films and in prestige stage productions. She made her film debut in Faulkner's "Sanctuary," appearing with Yves Montand and Lee Remick, in the 1960 film directed by Tony Richardson. On stage, director John Wood, cast her in the role of Tituba, in "The Crucible," for the Stratford Shakespeare Company in Ontario, and then cast her again two seasons later in "Gamma Rays On Man-In-The-Moon Marigolds," at the Neptune Theatre in Halifax; and she was guest hostess of the popular national children's radio show, "Spider's Web," for which she recorded the theme music. The folk purists in 1962, were shocked and offended by the release of her first blues band album, "ODETTA AND THE BLUES," backed by Buck Clayton and an all star band. However, Joan Baez came to her defence in an interview, saying, "The great ODETTA, born Odetta Felious in Birmingham, is currently under fire for doing a blues album that is closer to jazz than folk. But she remains one of the best folk singers going; her brawny female baritone can run through a wider variety of mood and matter than most singers would dare attempt." Meanwhile, she continued her international touring, released many landmark albums for Vanguard and RCA Records, joined an all star cast at Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl for the live concert recordings of the "WOODY GUTHRIE TRIBUTE," and made duet recording guest appearances on albums of Joan Baez and of Jimmy Witherspoon. Her 1950s and 60s classic recordings of "He's Got The Whole World In His Hands," "Kumbaya," "Goodnight Irene," and "Amazing Grace," became folk and spiritual classics throughout the world and inspired an entire generation.

In 1972, ODETTA was honoured, along with Marian Anderson, Paul Robeson and Eubie Blake, as the first group of recipients of the "Duke Ellington Fellowship Award," presented each year by Duke Ellington at Yale University. In 1975, she hosted the Montreux (Switzerland) Jazz Festival," and starred at virtually every other major festival around the world. The 70s began ODETTA's long association of performing with some of the world's celebrated symphony orchestras and ballet companies. In 1976, Long time fan Sarah Caldwell cast her as the Muse of Liberty for John La Montaine's "Be Glad Then America," an opera commissioned for the U.S. Bicentennial. On television, she appeared with Cicely Tyson in the award winning TV Movie "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman," as a featured guest on the Dick Cavett Show, and on Public Television's "Salute to American Pop." As the `70s closed, she began her long relationship, Guest Starring on the national hit radio show, "Prairie Home Companion," with its creator and friend Garrison Keeler.

During the 1980s, ODETTA's touring schedule worldwide remained as active as ever, as did her recording, acting, and her radio and television appearances. Luciano Berio invited her to open the Fiat Arts Center in Turin, Italy, and she also toured Africa, Australia, Asia and The Soviet Union. She starred in the stage production "Bessie Smith," and created the role of Cobalt Blue in Toni Morrision's musical "New Orleans." For national PBS Television, she starred in "Ramblin' with ODETTA," and co-starred on the Soundstage Concert Special, "Just Folks," and on "The 25th Anniversary Concert of Folk City." Her 1987 album, "ODETTA: Christmas Spirituals" (Alcazar Records) has become a holiday staple in the record stores. And she was presented with "Lifetime Achievement Award(s)" from The Federation of Protestant Charities, from the World Folk Music Society, and from The National Music Council, who presented her with its "American Eagle Award" in 1987 for her distinguished contribution to American music--and for, in the words of Morton Gould, "reminding musicians that we have consciences."

ODETTA launched the `90s with her German album release, "ODETTA: Women In (E) Motion," and followed it up with appearances on the continent's major TV variety and talk shows and a European tour, including a performance at The Festival for The World Cup (Soccer) Finals in Italy. The decade continued actively with the TV & Radio concert Specials: "The Boston Pops with ODETTA, Shirley Verrett, and The Boys Choir of Harlem," "Tommy Makem & Friends," "Peter, Paul & Mary - Lifelines" (CD and video) "Nancy Griffith & Other Voices" (CD and video); and she co-starred with Richie Havens, Tom Paxton, Josh White, Jr, Peter Yarrow and Arlo Guthrie in "Oscar Brand's 50th Anniversary Radio Concert," for National Public Radio. She also co-starred with Burl Ives (last performance), Pete Seeger, Art Garfunkel, Theodore Bikel, Josh White, Jr., The Chad Mitchell Trio, Tom Paxton and Oscar Brand, for New York's "92nd Street Y's 50th Anniversary Folk Concert." For the "CBS-TV's Sunday Morning" show, TV correspondent and jazz legend Billy Taylor traveled with ODETTA on her first trip back to Birmingham, Alabama in fifty years, and followed her while she gave a master class to the Colby College Choir and received an Honorary Doctorate (joining her Honorary Doctorates from Bennett College, Los Angeles City College, and Johnson C. Smith University), and as she gave a benefit concert at Birmingham's Black Hall of Fame. ODETTA, Nina Simone and Miriam McKeba made a highly successful "Three Divas Concert Tour" of Europe, and she returned to tour Australia, New Zealand and Japan. She was a Guest Star on the Pete Seeger Tribute Album "Where Have All The Flowers Gone," "A Tribute To Earl Robinson," and on "Nancy Griffith & Other Voices;" and happily she saw the CD reissues of most of her old albums from the `50s, `60s and 70s. ODETTA is featured in the book, I Dream A World: Portraits of Black Women Who Changed America. And, she was honored to be invited, as an "Elder," to the International Women's Conference in Beijing, China.

During 1998-99, ODETTA released her live festival album, "To Ella," (recorded at the Kerrville Folk Festival - minutes after learning of Ella Fitzgerald's passing), toured Great Britain with Nancy Griffith (also performing with Nanci in a BBC TV Special), made tours of Italy and North America, and composed the music and recorded the score for the new, original play "Spirit North." She also Guest Starred at Carnegie Hall, for "Sweet Honey In The Rock's 25th Anniversary Concert," at the "W.B. DuBois's 100th Birthday Celebration," and at "Paul Robeson's 100th Birthday Celebration." As a major performance highlight in her long career, she co-starred with Jewel, Judy Collins, Paula Cole, Janice Ian, Helen Reddy and Phoebe Snow, at Madison Square Garden's "Women In Music 1960 - 1999," while Rolling Stone Magazine reviewed her set, reporting, "ODETTA, arguably the only true legend in the house, was a stunner. It was almost unfair that she opened because it set a towering standard for the others to reach. The high point of her set was Mama and Papa Yancey's `Ain't It Hard Lord.' ODETTA rolled up her sleeves and, with one hand on her hip (accompanied by her pianist), got down to business. After fifty years of performing, ODETTA remains a glorious and spiritual force." Vanguard Records also released their CD compilation tribute to ODETTA in 1999, "ODETTA: Best of the Vanguard Years." New York's Time Out magazine, reviewed that CD, saying, "Easily the best singer of the folk movement, Odetta has been singing like a giant androgynous superhuman of African descent with a clinical case of the blues since the mid 1950s. Sort of a cross between Grace Jones and Maria Callas, only more so, Odetta can't sing `folk' at all because she doesn’t really sound like a person singing, let alone the person next door. She sounds more like the Morman Tabernacle Choir, or the Nuremburg rally with different politics."

And, to end off 1999, Homespun Tapes & Video released the instructional video "ODETTA: Exploring Life, Music and Song…Hosted by Dr. Ysaye Barnwell;" as MC Records' release of "BLUES EVERYWHERE I GO" and its subsequent national & world tour was supported by "Mt. Stage," "E-Town" and "World Café’s" national radio concert shows, which aired ODETTA Live Radio Concerts; and she performed at the Blues Foundation's Lifetime Achievement Awards, at Hollywood’s House of Blues, celebrating "Salute to Women in Blues," while sharing the stage with Ruth Brown, Koko Taylor, Etta James, Bonnie Raitt, Little Richard, Tracy Nelson and Shemekia Copeland.

Already in 2000: ODETTA has toured more than thirty American cities; she has hosted and performed at Carnegie Hall, in the "Songs For A Better World" concert and sang on its cast album (with all proceeds going to worldwide children's foundations); Women In Music, Inc. presented her with their lifetime achievement "Touchstone Award;" and the "House of Blues Radio Hour," featured an "ODETTA Special." She sang a duet ("Sail Away Ladies") with Roger McGuinn on his forthcoming album and toured the United Kingdom; in May, she guest starred on BBC-TV’s "Later With Jools" (UK’s most popular prime time music show), performed at the WC HANDY Awards Show in Memphis (for its upcoming PBS TV Special), guest starred on "Rollin’ Into Memphis – Songs of John Hiatt," singing "Listening To Old Voices" (9/1/00 release), and performed with her band in Athens, Greece. This summer, she appears at major blues, folk and jazz festivals in the USA, Canada and back in Europe. And, this Fall she begins the recording of a new album—in a tribute to Leadbelly; will be featured with Ramblin’ Jack Elliott in an Annie Liebowitz photo shoot for Vanity Fair’s Yearly Music Industry Tribute; and in the PBS-TV Concert Special "Woody & Me," co-starring with Richie Havens, Tom Paxton, Josh White, Jr., Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and Oscar Brand.

As ODETTA approaches the sixth decade of her extraordinary career, she is more excited than ever about her career, her music and her role in life. She has continued to be a major influence on young artists, from Carly Simon, Janice Ian and Joan Armitrading, to Sweet Honey in The Rock and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, to Nanci Griffith, Tracy Chapman, Casandra Wilson and Jewel. And she has been befriended by, rubbed shoulders with, and now becomes one of the few remaining bearers of the torches carried by some of our greatest artists and social activists of the past, such as: Marian Anderson, Paul Robeson, Dr. Martin Luther King, Malcom X, President John F. Kennedy, Josh White, Yves Montand, Eubie Blake, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Jimmy Witherspoon, Count Basie, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Elizabeth Cotton, Alberta Hunter, Big Bill Broonzy and Langston Hughes. She is proud to carry the torch as an `Artist-Activist' into the new millennium. On October 12th, the Huntington’s Disease Society will honor ODETTA with the "Woody Guthrie Award" for her contributions to humanity and social activism; and in March, 2001, at the United Nations, The First Annual World Economic Assembly of Women will present ODETTA with their first Lifetime Achievement Award.

ODETTA's feelings about her art and her profession, and the responsibilities it carries on to humanity are heartfelt. "Through performing, I continue to find myself, and the more I find myself, the less I have to deny other people themselves. Music is the conductor of electricity or magic. If I went through every song in my repertoire and just said the words, they would be dull or preachy, and who cares? Add vibration, via notes, to the words, and it becomes a whole new sentence to be listened to. I feel an incredible advantage of being one who makes the magic come through all by myself," she asserts with the confidence of self-recognition. `The more I can share a personal inward look with people, the more the audience can get into themselves, sparked by whatever is going on on the stage." She continues, "Music is outside the path we walk every day. Ever since primitive man we have been lifted by it, and we want to be lifted by it. Even though we're heading for Mars and a push-button world, we still have our basic emotions to deal with…and that's where songs are coming from. I feel that I'm part of that whole fabric of keeping track of our own selves. It's getting very busy out there, and we can't afford to become second to a machine. I don't think this situation is hopeless. I refuse to think it's hopeless, because once you get into that, why live?"

Although ODETTA's emphasis is on the positive side of life, she is cautious to trust organizations and their leaders. "Years ago I got impatient with the ego things that people go through in organizations, no matter how worthy their cause is." Accordingly, ODETTA's passionate commitment to life and humanity has evolved into "Being Useful," and it is embodied in the performance of folk music, much of which originated in times when it was supportive of social improvements. In keeping with her need to "Be Useful," she decided that her contribution to `causes' would be to "use myself, in terms of benefit concerts for people who are brave enough to be on the firing line. I will more likely work for a group that is still `grass roots' and has no funding from the government or other outside sources." She has performed hundreds of benefit concerts for the protection of the civil rights of all peoples--for the poor, the women, and children, and for those oppressed only because of their race, sex, sexual identification, religion or age…She sings, speaks out and donates her time and efforts for those not being educated and not receiving adequate medical care, for the imprisoned and for those persecuted by totalitarian governments….and for the prevention of all wars, nuclear proliferation, and world hunger. "I perform wherever and whenever I'm needed. I do what I believe in."

Fittingly, one day after the release of her new CD, "BLUES EVERYWHERE I GO," and appropriately coinciding with her 50th Anniversary Celebration, the President and Mrs. Clinton, honored a prestigious group of Americans with The National Medal of The Arts and Humanities, in ceremonies held at Washington's Constitution Hall on September 29th. The nineteen honorees included ODETTA, Steven Spielberg, August Wilson, Maria Tallchief, Norman Lear, Aretha Franklin, Garrison Keeler and Rosetta LeNoire. This ceremony was especially moving for ODETTA, since her dear friend and childhood singing influence, Marian Anderson, was prevented from performing on that same stage just sixty years earlier because of the color of her skin. Upon meeting ODETTA, the President told her, "I've loved your music since I was a boy, I had so many of your albums…you were a major inspiration to me." And that evening, after the ceremonies, ODETTA and her fellow honorees were feted at The White House, where she dined at the President's table and then danced into the wee hours to the music performed by the Presidential Orchestra. . .

ODETTA's life has been a shining example for all minorities and young women throughout the world who have had a dream, yet faced seemingly insurmountable obstacles in trying to overcome society's prejudices and injustices. Born poor, and disen- franchised by her government in America's racially segregated society, ODETTA was prevented from pursuing her original dream of being a classical singer in the 1940s, only because of the color of her skin. Yet she persevered, delved deep into the historical black music of her cultural past with a passion, ventured paths untread by women of color, expanded her exploration to folk music of all cultures, and spread her unique musical message and performance to every continent on earth. And she would go on and inspire millions of civil rights advocates around the world, including a young, white southern teenager named Bill Clinton…. perform her `magic' before Martin Luther King and President John F. Kennedy….and then, on the 50th Anniversary of her professional career, she is honored at The White House with her nation's highest presidential award, presented by that same southern boy, now the President of the United States.

Recent reviews – "Blues Everywhere I Go"

". . . . The 69 year folk song singer’s first recording in 14 years, a blues set, is a triumph….She uses her sweeping, dramatic voice to uncover layers of heartache and contentment in lyrics that few other singers could get at." (DOWNBEAT – March, 2000)

". . . . `Blues Everywhere I go I Go," proves that the old saying is true: like fine wine, ODETTA continues to tastefully improve with age….This album reveals a vibrant and deeply involved vocalist whose renowned intensity still shines though each and every number." (BIG CITY BLUES – March, 2000)

". . . . The words still speak, the voice is magnificent, the musicians are up to the honour of getting down and dirty with the 70 year old legend--and so is the legend….It would be a dull dog who didn’t get a thrill from this album." (Yorkshire Post {England}- 3/8/00)

". . . . "Blues Everywhere I Go," - `TOP TEN ALBUM OF THE YEAR’ "The mother goddess of folk blues still has plenty of spice in her." (NEW YORK TIMES – 1/13/00)

". . . . ODETTA is ready to open a whole new chapter to a career with a CD that will undoubtedly catapult her back to the forefront of the contemporary blues scene and gain her a whole new audience." (REAL BLUES {Canada} – January, 2000)

". . . . ODETTA, certainly one of the most influential of all African-American folk singers, has at 68, and in her fiftieth year as a performer, made one of the best albums of her long and distinguished career, and also one of the best albums of classic blues ever….`Blues Everywhere I Go," is an essential recording." (SING OUT – Winter, 2000)

". . . . ODETTA "Blues Everywhere I Go" - `Blues Album of the Year' (year end voting) (CKUT Radio {Montreal} - 12/31/99)

". . . . In `Blues Everywhere I Go,' Odetta and MC Records have released one of the finest blues statements of 1999." (BLUEPRINT {London} - January, 2000)

". . . . Odetta's direct and soulful approach makes this the most personal and distinctive blues record of the year." (Boston Globe - November 11, 1999)

". . . .Her voice is as ringing and resonant as ever." (PEOPLE Mag - November 15, 1999)

". . . . Odetta reminds us of the emotional power and musical elegance black women brought to the popular blues market." (OFFBEAT Mag - November, 1999)

". . . . ODETTA never sounded better…a wonderful collection of songs." (BONNIE RAITT – October, 1999)

". . . . `Blues Everywhere I Go,' is one of the year's (or any year's) essential recordings." (Montreal Gazette - October 16, 1999)

". . . . The remarkable `Blues Everywhere I Go,’ seethes with vitality and truth." (SeattlePost – October 6, 1999).