Claudette King

“That which thou hath inherited from thy forefathers, earn it anew if though wouldst possess it.” - Goethe

There's a new voice out of the South making waves, and if familial genes count for anything, blues/soul/r&b/pop singer Claudette King, a longtime Californian now living in Atlanta, will go far, very far. The youngest daughter of ultimate blues master B. B. King, she’s quick to cite her father as her main “inspiration.” But most certainly, the power of Claudette’s enthusiasm for the splendid genre-blending music on her debut “On To Something” (Blues Express) merits wide notice.

Trained in the gospel of the Baptist church from age 13, King is developing some of the emotional authority that one associates with her mighty mentors: Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Koko Taylor, Chaka Khan, Mavis Staples, Mahalia Jackson, even Michael Jackson. The affable singer will tell you: “I got a bit of everybody inside of me.”

Conscientious and hard-working, she shows her own style, her own identity, through rhythm, phrasing, and timbre. By turns convincingly sensual, sassy, or wistful, she explores the emotional turf of album numbers like “Rock My Soul,” “Too Little Too Late,” and “A Dog Like You” with ease and confidence.

Claudette, whose previous recording experience was an album distributed only in Europe, enjoys a musical meeting of the minds with well-regarded guitarist Bobby Murray (Etta James, Charlie Musslewhite, etc.), with members of Texas soul-blues legend Frankie Lee’s band, and with other first-call sidemen. The horn players are savvy to historic Memphis soul, and Claudette's rapport with all the musicians mirrors that of her father--warm and natural.

One of the premier, up-and-coming blues-and-more vocalists of the day, we are sure there is lots more to come from talented Ms. King.

--Frank-John Hadley
DownBeat columnist/Blues Foundation award-winner

"It was a real pleasure working with Claudette on this CD. Her talent takes her well beyond the enormous legacy of her name. As anyone listening to this music will recognize, Claudette likes to have fun and she has a great sense of humor – but she can also dig into a song and deliver great depths of emotion and understanding. I look forward to her ongoing contributions to the world of the blues." - Steve Savage, producer