Sunday, September 26, 2004

 

Wanda Jackson relives glory days with saucy set

From the Chicago Sun-Times
Any concert by an early pioneer of rock 'n' roll involves a time warp. The performer wants to take the audience into the past, back through the decades to an artistic heyday. The crowd happily joins this fantastic journey, but fans must reconcile dreamy notions of yesterday with the cold reality of today. Such was the case during Wanda Jackson's concert Thursday night at Martyrs'.

Jackson headlined a five-act bill as part of Estrojam, a weeklong festival that aims to get more women involved in the creative and technical aspects of the arts. Dubbed "The Queen of Rockabilly," Jackson was an appropriate booking for the fest because her fiery singles in the '50s blazed a trail for all the female rockers who followed.

During her prime, Jackson's voice was a compelling instrument that combined girlish allure with formidable whoops and growls. Her form-fitting, shoulder-baring dresses made her a symbol of sensuality, and she famously dated and toured with Elvis Presley.

Jackson's impressive vocals on "Right or Wrong," a self-penned ballad from 1961, demonstrated that she can still convincingly emote in dramatic fashion. Jackson peppered her performance with anecdotes from her 50 years as a recording artist, including a story of how the young Presley had once given her his ring, which she placed on a necklace and wore around her neck.

Read the article
Chicago Sun-Times


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