Music fans love an unlikely collaboration. It’s always a treat to see two revered artists take the stage together. Not only is it a welcome surprise, but it can also produce some interesting results. Take the night John Paul Jones got asked to perform with Etta James, for example. While Led Zeppelin certainly took cues from black soul music, they transformed it enough to make it their own. However, Jones’ influences were laid bare when he played alongside a true soul icon, like James.
Watch: The Night Led Zeppelin’s Bassist, John Paul Jones, Ended up on Stage With Etta James
This unlikely collaboration between James and Jones happened at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1975. As the story goes, Jones was asked to step in after James suffered a last-minute lineup change. According to James’ guitarist, Brian Ray, it was a real trip for the younger members of the band to teach Jones how to play the set.
“After the show we went backstage to hang and I was looking for the Zep guys because as a young lad on my first trip to Europe with Etta James at the 1975 Montreux Jazz Festival,” Ray recalled. “John Paul Jones was set to play bass for Etta at the fest. Me, skinny little 19-year-old kid with blond hair halfway down my back was the bandleader, teaching Zep’s bassist Etta’s songs.”
Etta James’ Montreux Performance
At the risk of sounding like a nostalgia freak, they don’t make performers like James anymore. In a world obsessed with strict choreography and perfect personas, James was a guttural kind of artist. While there are certainly merits to the flashy style of concert we’ve grown fond of today, it’s sobering to watch a performance like the one below.
In the clip below, James, alongside Jones, performs “I’d Rather Go Blind.” She throws the studio recording aside and opts for something far more improvised. James’ vocal delivery is that of a monologist. She tells the audience her tale of lost love. And, though we’ve heard this song countless times, it feels fresh.
Though the bass isn’t the most notable instrument on stage (for most of us anyway), Jones’ contribution to this James performance doesn’t go unnoticed. You can tell the texture of “I’d Rather Go Blind” has changed. The notes are the same, but a masterful player like Jones can’t help but stand out.
