Local actress and jazz vocalist Kama Ruby ventures into yet another musical area this week with a concert featuring songs written or inspired by Joni Mitchell.
Well known for her sexy jazz standards and jazzy interpretations of classic and alternative rock songs, her latest performance focuses more on Mitchell's songbook, which also has been known to include a jazzy tune or two. Her set list will include Help Me, Woodstock, Jericho, and Blue among others.
Ms. Ruby, who wowed audiences a few months ago with her impersonations of Stevie Nicks and Judy Garland during her performance in The Empty Space's Jukebox Legends, is a huge fan of Mitchell.
"I think Joni Mitchell has been one of the bigger influences in my musical life. Her compositions are so rich with surprisingly complex lyrics and meter changes. I found her songs much harder to learn than I anticipated when I first thought up this project."
The concert, to be held at Don Martin's Metro Galleries in downtown Bakersfield, will showcase not only tunes written by Mitchell, but also those whose writers were inspired by Mitchell, such as Led Zeppelin's Going to California.
"I like a lot of different types of music. I guess I always wanted to be a rock star at heart," she laughed, adding, "I think it's important to embrace and learn from whatever has influenced you if you want to become better at your craft."
Joining her will be three outstanding jazz musicians from the area: Ezekiel Victor (piano), Glen Fong (bass), and Canaan McDuffie (drums). Doors open at 7:30 PM, with the concert starting at 8 PM, Thursday, Nov. 18th. Admission is $10 at the door, all ages admitted.
For more info: www.reverbnation.com/kamaruby or www.kamaruby.com
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