SOLCHLD Sings Etta James

Her music – including the 2026 album, Scarred And Sacred, made with the Callum Pask Trio – moves between spoken poetry, jazz and deep soul, carrying equal parts tenderness and force. Her connection to First Nations traditions runs through everything she makes, whether she’s speaking truth to power or gently serenading.

As part of Sydney Festival’s new Blues club, SOLCHLD covers Etta James, the R&B and soul trailblazer whose songs hold devastating heartache, tenderness, and dauntless strength with equal ease. At this special performance, she brings her singular voice to James’ catalogue, moving from aching ballads to genre-defining standards.

It’s a celebration of an artist who could turn vulnerability into power, and a fresh encounter with one of soul’s most beloved songbooks.

“Her effortless poetic writing style [is] laced with raw, soulful vocals” - Queensland Performing Arts Centre