James: Blues with Etta-tude

James: Blues with Etta-tude
May 10, 2009
By Lauren Carter
The Edge

Midway through her set at the House of Blues on Friday night, blues siren Etta James divulged what had already become clear.

“I like them dirty songs,” she purred from her stool at center stage.

Yes, we could tell.

At 71, the singer born Jamesetta Hawkins may have limited mobility, but she hasn’t lost an ounce of spunk or sexual energy.

James was escorted onstage by the show’s emcee, and though she walked gingerly, she indulged in some wannabe-nasty hip gyration on her way to the microphone. That set the tone for a night full of throaty vocals and provocative-bordering-on-lewd gesturing that alternately amused and assaulted.

It’s refreshing to see that after battles with heroin addiction and obesity, James still has attitude to spare.

Even as she motorized herself offstage on a scooter, she managed to stop and work it like a diva half her age.

That said, it’s a little unnerving to watch a grandmotherly type simulating foreplay onstage.

But maybe James has earned the license to be lascivious as a senior citizen.

With blond hair, bright-red lipstick and a newly svelte figure courtesy of gastric bypass surgery that helped her drop 200 pounds, James has lost the weight but not the lungs that have made her a Grammy winner and a Rock and Roll, Blues and Grammy Hall of Fame inductee.

Her 85-minute set began with an interlude from the Roots Band, James’ sturdy eight-piece backing ensemble - not the legendary hip-hop group.

She included the sexually charged “Come to Mama,” “Damn Your Eyes” and the bluesy lament “I’d Rather Go Blind.”

When the laid-back lounge vibe threatened to become monotonous, James perked things up with “Piece of My Heart,” a serviceable rendition of her signature song “At Last” (sans digs at Beyonce, who’s covered the tune) and Al Green’s uptempo “Love and Happiness,” which allowed her to indulge in some booty shaking.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been to Boston,” James mused. “I thought you wouldn’t know me no more.”

Not a chance: File James under gone but not forgotten.