King of Rock ‘n’ Soul Solomon Burke and Young Scottish Singer/Songwriter Paolo Nutini Open the Show

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2008, AT 8 PM

Corporate Sponsor WaMu; Media Sponsor KJAZZ & Univision34/Telefutura 46

The Queen of the Blues Etta James returns to the Hollywood Bowl, Wednesday, August 13 at 8 p.m. with her Roots Band and the trademark sass and belting blues that have made her a Bowl favorite. Making their Hollywood Bowl debuts are legendary soul pioneer Solomon Burke and Scottish singer/songwriter Paolo Nutini, who open the show.

A powerhouse performer, Etta James has been a musical storyteller for the past five decades. Her gospel-soaked roots grew into a singing career in1954 with her chart-topping recording of “The Wallflower” with Johnny Otis, and her latest album All the Way incorporates the same raw talent, bridging R&B, blues and pop.

Hailed by Tom Waits as “one of the architects of American music,” Solomon Burke also brings a wealth of soul wisdom to the evening with songs ranging from the beginning of his 50+ year career to his latest project Like a Fire. Like James, Burke’s beginnings stem from gospel music, but in 2001 he joined James as a Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Famer. Scottish born Paolo Nutini opens the show with a youthful spin on this genre. Nutini has a natural gift with a unique sound that is influenced by classic R&B, jazz and American soul.

The Jazz at the Bowl series, under the guidance of Los Angeles Philharmonic Creative Chair for Jazz Christian McBride, offers an eight-concert series featuring major artists from the world of jazz. The 2008 season highlights include Jamie Cullum with the Count Basie Orchestra and A Christian McBride Situation on August 20; George Benson and SMV featuring bassists Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller and Victor Wooten on August 27; and Bossa Nova at 50 with orchestra, Oscar Castro-Neves and special guests Ivan Lins, Maria Rita and others on September 3.

ETTA JAMES is an artist of legendary stature as a two-time Grammy winner, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Lifetime Achievement and W.C. Handy Blues Foundation honoree. James has made definitive blues, soul, and R&B music over the last four decades, including her newest disc, All the Way, garnering a reputation as a world-class live performer in the process. Born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles, James influence on singers reaches across generations – from Diana Ross to Janis Joplin to Bonnie Raitt and beyond. It was bandleader/ talent scout Johnny Otis who discovered her in San Francisco in 1954 and immediately whisked her into the studio to record “Roll with Me Henry.” The saucy song shot to No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B chart and was covered by Georgia Gibbs in a version titled “Dance with Me Henry” that also topped the pop charts. Signed with Chess Records in 1960, Etta would stay with the groundbreaking label for the next 16 years. From such ’60s hits as “At Last” (among the most enduring of all recorded pop performances), “All I Could Do Was Cry,” “My Dearest Darling,” “Trust in Me,” “Something’s Got a Hold on Me,” and “Tell Mama,” “Fool That I Am,” and “Don’t Cry Baby,” James achieved an incredible string of charting records, ranking third, just behind Aretha Franklin and Dionne Warwick, as the most prolific female R&B hitmaker of her era. “A singer of unprecedented power and appeal” was how Rolling Stone described her on the eve of her 1993 induction into the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame. Two years later she garnered her first Grammy, after nine nominations, for her Private Music debut album, Mystery Lady: The Songs of Billie Holiday. In 2003, James received a NARAS Lifetime Achievement award from the Recording Academy’s National Trustees, in recognition of her outstanding creative contributions. Additionally, she received a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame commemorating her extraordinary recording career.

SOLOMON BURKE, the King of Rock ‘n’ Soul, gives his unparalleled treatment to a new batch of songs on his latest album, Like A Fire, that cover a wide range of emotions. His records helped create the exhilarating celebration of pure feeling and African-American vocal expression that came to be known as soul. His songs, including such classics as “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love” and “Cry to Me,” have been covered by artists from the Rolling Stones to Tom Petty, from the Blues Brothers to Bruce Springsteen. In 2001 Burke was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Soon after, his 2002 album “Don’t Give Up On Me,” won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album. That album’s follow-up, Make Do With What You Got (produced by Don Was), and Burke’s most recent release, 2006’s Nashville, both received Grammy nominations as well. Nashville, which featured duets with such legends as Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris, returned Burke to his longtime love of country music. The theme on Like A Fire focuses on Burke’s interpretation of compositions by a new generation of songwriters, including Ben Harper (“A Minute to Rest and a Second to Pray”), Keb’ Mo (“We Don’t Need It”), and Jesse Harris (“What Makes Me Think I Was Right” and “You and Me”). Produced by drummer Steve Jordan (who has worked with Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, Stevie Wonder, and countless more artists), Like A Fire features a band including studio legends Danny Kortchmar on guitar and Larry Taylor on bass. Eric Clapton showed his respect for Solomon Burke by contributing not just one, but two songs to Like A Fire. Clapton penned the album’s title track, and shares writing credit with Burke on “Thank You.” The album closes with the only song not written specifically for this project. “If I Give My Heart to You” was written in 1954, and best known in that year’s hit version by Doris Day. Burke gives the song an intimate, extremely personal reading, unique in his recent body of work.

PAOLO NUTINI was born and raised in Paisley, Scotland. This 21-year-old singer/ songwriter, like many of the truly inspired British vocalists who have come before him, has absorbed the soul of the great American R&B singers and channeled it into something original. Nutini’s full-length Atlantic debut, These Streets, was an instant sensation upon its arrival, making a stunning top 3 chart entry in the U.K. amidst a flurry of critical acclaim, receiving gold certification less than two weeks later and has since been certified platinum. Nutini has a unique gift for expressing the attitudes and experiences of someone both of his age and well beyond it. Despite their Italian name, the Nutini family has lived in Paisley, Scotland for at least four generations. His musical education began with his late grandfather, who introduced him to Scottish folk songs as well as a wide range of other styles. Exposure to classic R&B stars like the Drifters and Ray Charles came via his dad and an auntie’s record collection, while his own post-adolescent explorations brought him to the work of such troubadours as John Martyn and Van Morrison. Nutini first started singing publicly in his school choir where his teacher quickly spotted his prodigious talent and guided the young singer through a more soulful repertoire. At 16, Nutini hit the road with a friend’s band, acting as roadie, T-shirt vendor, and occasional on-stage support act. From there, the die was cast – Nutini moved to London, where he started performing regularly at clubs. Nutini signed to Atlantic Records shortly after his 18th birthday and immediately headed north to Liverpool to work on his debut album with renowned producer Ken Nelson (Coldplay, Ray LaMontagne, Badly Drawn Boy). Uncut Magazine awarded These Streets four-out-of-five stars. The Observer hailed Nutini as having “a talent for elegant, melodic songwriting and an admirable willingness to vary the tempo.” Rolling Stone named Paolo as one of its “10 Artists To Watch 2006”. Nutini has supported such superstars as Paul Weller and the Rolling Stones, in addition to making TV appearances on Top of the Pops, Later with Jools Holland, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Today Show, and Late Night With Conan O’Brien.

One of the largest natural amphitheaters in the world, with a seating capacity of nearly 18,000, the HOLLYWOOD BOWL has been the summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since its official opening in 1922, and in 1991 gave its name to the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, a resident ensemble that has filled a special niche in the musical life of Southern California. The 2004 season introduced audiences to a revitalized Hollywood Bowl, featuring a newly-constructed shell and stage and the addition of four stadium screens enhancing stage views in the venue. To this day, $1 buys a seat at the top of the Bowl for many of the Los Angeles Philharmonic's concerts. While the Bowl is best known for its sizzling summer nights, during the day California's youngest patrons enjoy "SummerSounds: Music for Kids at the Hollywood Bowl," the Southland's most popular summer arts festival for children, now in its 40th season. Attendance figures over the past several decades have soared: in 1980 the Bowl first topped the half-million mark and close to one million admissions have been recorded. In February 2008, the Hollywood Bowl was named Best Major Outdoor Concert Venue for the fourth year in a row at the 19th Annual Pollstar Concert Industry Awards. The Bowl's summer music festival has become as much a part of a Southern California summer as beaches and barbecues, the Dodgers and Disneyland.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2008, at 8 PM

HOLLYWOOD BOWL, 2301 N. Highland Ave. in Hollywood



ETTA JAMES & THE ROOTS BAND



ETTA JAMES & THE ROOTS BAND

SOLOMON BURKE

PAOLO NUTINI



Corporate Sponsor WaMu; Media Sponsor KJAZZ & Univision34/Telefutura 46

Tickets ($1 - $95) are on sale now at HollywoodBowl.com, at the Hollywood Bowl Box Office (Tuesday–Sunday, noon–6 p.m.), by phone 323.850.2000 or by calling Ticketmaster at 213.480.3232, and at all Ticketmaster outlets. Groups of 10 or more may be eligible for a 20% discount, subject to availability; call 323.850.2050 for further details.

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