Vanessa Collier In Concert

See award-winning blues, soul, and funk saxophonist, vocalist, and songwriter Vanessa Collier, live at SHAMc!

Vanessa Collier In Concert

Sunday, February 1, 2026

Doors 5pm/Music 5:30pm

Vanessa Collier is an award-winning blues, soul, and funk saxophonist, vocalist, and songwriter known for her fiery live shows and soulful, horn-driven sound. A Berklee College of Music graduate and multiple Blues Music Award winner, she blends searing sax lines, powerful vocals, and smart, groove-heavy songwriting into a show that has critics calling her “an important part of the future of the blues.”

-

Singer/songwriter Vanessa Collier’s sixth album Do It My Own Way was released September 13 via Phenix Fire Records. Recorded on analog gear with the musicians largely in one room, Do It My Own Way is sonically inspired by the classic Memphis soul sound of Stax and Hi Records, especially that of the Staples Singers. Second single “Wild As a Rainstorm,” which dives deep into soul territory, powerfully gives advice to women and people who feel left out to ignore the naysayers and “Be a tapestry of dreams.” The track been added to Spotify’s official Retro Soul playlist. The groove and horns would make Willie Mitchell proud, and indeed features legendary Hi Records organist Rev. Charles Hodges. The vocals are powerful, awe-inspiring, and undeniably soulful vocals.

Talking about the album, Collier adds, “It’s a warmer and darker sounding a record, recorded intentionally to reflect a throwback to older school soul, R&B, blues, and to the days of great songs and songwriters, tube amps and analog gear.” Do It My Own Way takes listeners back to the heyday of music with Memphis soul-influenced horn arrangements, layers of vocals for color, with poignant and powerful saxophone solos that deliver a quietly powerful undercurrent to each song and the album as a whole. Minor key Americana/noir “Take Me Back” served as the first single. The album kicks off with the funk workout “Elbow Grease.” On an album full of incredible grooves, “Shoulda Known Better” stands out while “Just One More” sways to a rhumba beat.