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Misty Blues: MLK Weekend Live Tribute To Odetta

caffe lena 47 Phila St., Saratoga Springs, NY, United States

Odetta (1930–2008) was a groundbreaking American folksinger and civil rights activist whose music blended gospel, blues, and traditional folk. Her commanding contralto and emotional style provided musical inspiration for the civil rights movement. It was Dr. King himself who named her The Queen of American Folk Music. As a musician and activist, she was a major influence on Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. Odetta played Caffe Lena's stage nine times between 1992 and 2002.

This two-album passion project has been brewing since the mid-1990s for the lead singer of Misty Blues, Gina Coleman, whose encounter with Odetta became a seminal moment in Coleman's career. The band's first tribute to Odetta spent 24 consecutive weeks at number 1 on the Roots Music Report Traditional Folk Album Chart. This success inspired them follow up with a live tribute album in March of 2024.

On stage, Coleman channels Odetta's majesty and vocal power, backed by a refined, mature band that is fully committed to the project. The songs include Civil Rights era classics This Little Light of Mine, Oh Freedom, Take This Hammer, Jim Crow Blues, Alabama Bound and Hold On.

Free