Salt Lake City singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/social-activist Talia Keys has released a cover of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “I Put A Spell On You.”
Ms. Keys wields something special; Utah’s famed firebrand just knows how to take firm hold of a tune, climb inside that number, inhabit a character, and make that joint her own.
Whether a biting song by her hand, or in the case of “I Put A Spell On You”, an inter-generational chestnut dating back nearly seventy years. Though primarily made famous by Bay Area freedom rockers Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Screamin’ Jay Hawkins-penned classic traces gritty roots back to 1956, and remains an essential part of the American songbook to this day.
Over the years, this haunting R&B cut has been touched by trailblazers like Nina Simone and Annie Lennox, and later reimagined by British-Egyptian siren Natacha Atlas. A bold choice to cover, Keys at once dials into the vintage, while ushering in a contemporary vibe that nods towards neo-soul. Subtle electric piano makes a plush–yet-understated bed for her Leslie-drenched guitar work; Talia digs into her blues bag with a determined wail, a choice tone that owes a little sauce to jazz giant John Scofield.
Talia Keys: Lead Vocals, Drums, Guitars
Ryan Conger: Electric Piano and Synth
Michael Sasich: Bass
UPCOMING SHOW
Sat APR 27: Commonwealth Room SLC 7pm
Fri MAY 17: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Wilmington, NC 9p-12a
May, 17 – 18, 2024
Beaufort Music Festival 2024
Beaufort, NC
with Futurebirds, BIG Something, American Aquarium, Cha Wa
-Official bio
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