Vanessa Collier
Show Date: Thursday, February 19, 2026
Show Time: 7:30pm
Doors Open: 6:00pm
Ticket Price: $25-$40 plus applicable fees
Show Type: Blues
Restrictions: All Ages
Singer/songwriter Vanessa Collier’s sixth album Do It My Own Way comes out 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 has been added to Spotify’s official Retro Soul playlist and features legendary Hi Records organist Rev. Charles Hodges.
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.
Collier takes on multiple roles, writing, producing, arranging horns and vocals, and playing guitars, saxophones, and flute. Also featured are Rev. Charles Hodges, guitarist Laura Chavez, bassist Scott Sutherland, and drummer Byron Cage.
Best known in the blues world—she’s a twelve-time Blues Music Award nominee and four-time winner, including Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year, Horn Player of the Year, and B.B. King Entertainer of the Year—Do It My Own Way finds her influenced by soul greats like Mavis Staples, Sharon Jones, James Brown, and Aretha Franklin.