March 08, 2012

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Leela James will pay homage to the late blues great who inspired her stage name with an upcoming disc titled In the Spirit of Etta James.

Shanachie Records, which will release the album, reveals in a statement that Leela took on the last name "James" because as a little girl singing in church, adults would often say that her voice was reminiscent of Etta's.

The upcoming album is due out this spring, and will feature Leela singing her own versions of songs previously recorded by Etta, who died late last year after suffering from a number of health issues, including leukemia.

"I think Etta James sang from real pain, which truly made the blues and soul of her music special. Very few artists are able to convey that sincere pain in their music," Leela says in a statement. "To have the opportunity to do an album paying tribute to the late Etta James is an honor and it is my intent to keep her legacy of music alive in doing so."

Leela's most recent release, My Soul, was released by Stax in 2010. She says she's excited to be working with Shanachie Records again; the label released her second studio album Let's Do It Again back in 2009.

Why doesn't she just release a new album with new/original material? I don't get why artists these days keep re-singing shit from back in the day. If I want to listen to the classics, I'll put on the original. Besides, wasn't her previous album, an album of her re-singing original soul songs?

My Soul, her previous project, consisted of new material. 2009's Let Do It Again, however, is an album of cover songs. I, too, was hoping for something other than more covers.

Identity said:

My Soul, her previous project, consisted of new material. 2009's Let Do It Again, however, is an album of cover songs. I, too, was hoping for something other than more covers.

Oh okay I see. I stand corrected, got them mixed up. But still, as you said, new material would had been better.

No interest in Etta 2012.

I can't believe someone keeps giving this girl a deal. She can't sing a lick to me.