by Tom Keener
Andrea Dawson, the Sassy Soulstress of Blues, performs at the Allen Public Library at 3:00 p.m. Sunday, February 12. Offering a mixture of smooth blues and rocking jazz, Andrea’s venues range from juke joints to prestigious blues festivals to the Dallas Museum of Art. She lives by the adage that if there’s music to be made and lives to touch, what better place to be?
Andrea’s began singing at home where her mother gave her vocal lessons. She later sang in churches and community choirs, but it was the Richtone Chorus, an all-female barbershop chorus that launched her professional career. Along with tours to Portugal with the Lucky Peterson Band and headlining in Santiago, Chile, Andrea’s most recent tour was in Shangai, China, where her music was hugely popular. “My visit to Shanghai China has been thrilling!” Andrea recalls. “When I was invited there, I was puzzled about why folks in China would want to hear blues and jazz from a middle-aged black woman in the U.S. However, once there I learned that not only do they want to hear traditional American music, but they also revere middle-aged black women who sing blues!”
Andre declares, “My desire is to move people through music, much like a writer does with words. I think music has the opportunity to open up the intellect on several levels and that is what I am looking to do. There are many messages and stories that can be exchanged through song, a remarkable tool in my opinion. There are many messages from the past and even more in the future waiting to be told.”
Sponsored by Bach to Books and Adult services, this program is free.
The Allen Public Library is located at 300 N. Allen Dr., 75013. For information, call 214-509-4911.
