Blue Strawberry Welcomes BMA Winner Vanessa Collier – “Keep It Saxy” Tour

Vanessa Collier, renowned soulful blues saxophonist-vocalist-songwriter and winner of five prestigious Blues Music Awards, continues her year-long “Keep It Saxy” 2026 Tour with a local performance at Blue Strawberry, 364 Boyle Ave., Friday, October 9. Show: 7:30pm. . Info: (314) 256-1745 or visit bluestrawberrystl.com/music.

Last spring Los Angeles Beat interviewed Vanessa, who also graces the cover of the 2026 Blues Festival Guide, about her current tour and more: thelosangelesbeat.com/2026/03/vanessa-colliers-keep-it-saxy-spring-tour-starts-socal-swing-at-coach-house-in-sjc-blues-memphis-soul-and-more-interview/.

Collier has earned major respect as a emerging star on the international music stage, and is renowned for her high-energy, soulful blues concerts. Vanessa received three 2026 Blues Music Awards Nominations: “B.B. King Entertainer of the Year;” “Band of the Year;” and “Contemporary Blues Female Artist.”

Collier’s sixth and most recent album Do It My Own Way was released September 2024 on her own Phenix Fire Records. Recorded on analog gear with the musicians largely in one room, Do It My Own Way is sonically inspired by the classic Memphis soul sound of Stax and Hi Records, especially that of the Staples Singers.  Do It My Own Way takes listeners back to the heyday of music with Memphis soul-influenced horn arrangements, layers of vocals for color, with poignant and powerful saxophone solos that deliver a quietly powerful undercurrent to each song and the album as a whole. Minor key Americana/noir “Take Me Back” served as the first single. The album kicks off with the funk workout “Elbow Grease.” On an album full of incredible grooves, “Shoulda Known Better” stands out while “Just One More” sways to a rumba beat.