MARINA CROUSE\u00a0–\u00a0NEVER TOO SOON<\/h1>\n
Opera isn’t normally thought of as a path to success in the\u00a0world of jazz and blues, but it’s the route (with some detours) that\u00a0Marina Crouse<\/strong>\u00a0took to become one of the most notable rising talents\u00a0\u00a0on the San Francisco\/Bay Area music scene. Her\u00a0\u00a0early classical training is reflected in her powerful vocal\u00a0\u00a0style, and that excitement drives Crouse’s debut album\u00a0\u00a0Never Too\u00a0\u00a0Soon<\/em><\/strong>, which balances blues tradition with contemporary urban funk. Crouse’s volcanic voice echoes the emotional power of\u00a0\u00a0such classic R&B divas as\u00a0\u00a0Etta James,\u00a0\u00a0Koko Taylor<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0\u00a0Big Maybelle<\/strong>.<\/p>\nA fourth-generation Chicana blessed with a big, expressive\u00a0voice early in life, Crouse originally trained for a career in\u00a0\u00a0opera, but never really felt at home with the restrictions and formality of the opera world. After an extended hiatus from\u00a0\u00a0performing, Crouse\u2014by now a full-time Spanish professor at Diablo Valley College and the single mom of two\u00a0\u00a0teenagers\u2014returned to performing in 2014.<\/p>\n
Since then, she’s emerged as one of San Francisco’s finest blues singers, exploring the classic material she loves and\u00a0\u00a0wowing local club audiences in the process. Backed by a handpicked group of some of the Bay Area’s finest players,\u00a0\u00a0Crouse also ventures into jazz material and Spanish tunes. But the blues remains her base and her main inspiration, and\u00a0\u00a0now that she’s back in action, she has no intention of\u00a0\u00a0stopping.<\/p>\n
Never Too Soon<\/em> finds Crouse applying her distinctive talents to a wide\u00a0\u00a0range of material from such diverse sources as\u00a0\u00a0Bobby Bland,\u00a0\u00a0Syl Johnson,\u00a0\u00a0Little Milton<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0\u00a0Los Panchos<\/strong>, as well as Spanish-language readings of\u00a0\u00a0Bob Dylan<\/strong>\u2019s\u00a0\u00a0\u201cThe\u00a0\u00a0Times They Are A-Changin\u2019\u201d\u00a0and\u00a0\u00a0War\u2019s\u00a0\u00a0\u201cCisco Kid,\u201d\u00a0the latter with Crouse\u2019s new lyrics referencing the\u00a0 proposed\u00a0\u00a0Mexican border wall and featuring\u00a0\u00a0Little Village Foundation<\/strong>\u00a0labelmate and blues harmonica sensation\u00a0\u00a0Aki Kumar<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0Never\u00a0\u00a0Too Soon<\/em>\u00a0also features a guest appearance by labelmates\u00a0\u00a0Mariachi Mestizo<\/strong>, who underline Crouse\u2019s fondness for Spanish\u00a0\u00a0boleros. Whatever the material, Crouse\u2019s expressive, mellifluous voice consistently cuts deep.<\/p>\n“When I sing,” she says, “I feel like I break myself\u00a0\u00a0open and let something come out. I’m reaching out to people and I hope\u00a0\u00a0that they can feel what I’m sending out. And when they do,\u00a0that to me is better than anything else.”<\/p>\n<\/div>
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