She’s adored from East Boogey to the Far East as vocalist, lyricist, bandleader, producer and teacher. On February 18, area jazz lovers can discover or revisit East St. Louis native Zelphia Otis at the Crusaders for Jazz’s next Friday night affair.
Always alluring, both visually and vocally, Zelphia has shown a continual evolution in clarity and richness, as well as in depth of material. As Richard Henderson, president of the Crusaders for Jazz, says, “A lot of singers don’t tackle the hard tunes, like ‘Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most’ or ‘Sophisticated Lady,’ but Zelphia does.”
Zelphia is at ease shuffling her taut arrangements before a song or cueing the band with aplomb. Gliding across the stage, romancing her listeners, she effortlessly bends to engage her willing backup, as she slips in and out of moods and tempos, ranging from heart-felt ballads to swinging blues burners. Her personality n a gift that infuses every syllable n conjures a glowing feeling of intimacy.
A former boutique owner, Zelphia draws from an inexhaustible wardrobe n provocative, tasteful, elegant n prompting anticipation of sights and sounds alike.
She has tackled tunes with saxophone giant Willie Akins at Spruill’s, with Freddie Washington at Club Allure and with pianist/alto saxophonist Chad Evans at the Grand Marias Lighthouse. Her ringing resonance, fluent phrasing and extremely personal delivery distinguish her, and her Far East forays in recent years (to Dubai, Beijing, Hong Kong, Seoul, Bali, Jakarta and Singapore) have enriched her repertoire.
Currently on hiatus from her extended travels, she stopped by trumpeter Randy Holmes’ recent Crusaders gig at the Engineers Club for a brief, well-received preview of Friday’s performance. I appreciated the strides she has made since her 2001 recording, It’s Because I’m Dreamy.
That disc features sparkling, edgy efforts, spiced with mischief and excitement. Joined by pianist extraordinaire Johnnie O’Neal, fellow East St. Louisan drummer Montez Coleman, and a swinging global cadre, she sails through vehicles like Al Jarreau’s “After All,” Martino and Siegel’s “Estate,” the brawny “Afro Blue” and Strayhorn’s “Lush Life.”
Zelphia’s vast and diverse resumé is a fertile resource for her music. Her gigs have ranged from television spots, piano teaching gigs, private parties, gospel dates and stints writing reviews for the East St. Louis Monitor. In addition, she was a featured vocalist for Mae Wheeler’s DIVAS 1998 show, music coordinator for the Miles Davis World Arts Festival 2001 in East St. Louis and entertainment coordinator for the Jackie Joyner-Kersee “Family Day of Peace” Festival in 2001.
Her pet project is the F.A.I.T.H. (Friends of the Artists Investing Their Help) Project. As CEO and founder of this non-profit organization (named for her lovely daughter), she helps to provide career and educational assistance to performing artists.
This excerpt from Zelphia’s bio is a mere snippet of her accomplishments. Her vocal maturation, however, is the focus of my interest, and it can be easily affirmed by a trip to her concert at the Engineers Club tomorrow night.
Zelphia performs at the Engineers Club, 4359 Lindell Blvd., on Friday, February 18 at 8 p.m. Call 385-2380 or 385-5281.