This Thursday, Dec. 16, 7-8:00 p.m., the Downtown Ann Arbor District Library will host an amazing blues and jazz concert with Detroit blues diva Alberta Adams and the RJ Spangler Trio.

From an Ann Arbor District Library statement:

Alberta Adams has long been the undisputed Queen of the Blues in Detroit. She was born on July 26, 1917 and celebrated her 93rd birthday this year. She started as a dancer in the late 1930s and has been doing it ever since. Along the way she toured with T-Bone Walker, Louis Jordan, Cleanhead Vinson and even played the Apollo Theater with Dizzy Gillespie.

It is amazing that a woman born in 1917 is still out there still performing with such power. She continues to represent the real old school and is still touring. She returned to the Apollo last spring! Alberta received two historical awards from the State of Michigan this summer and has more Detroit Music Awards than she can count. She is a Lifetime Achievement Award winner from the Detroit Blues Society.

The RJ Spangler Trio features Duncan McMillan on organ, Ralph Tope on guitar & RJ Spangler on drums.

This concert is sponsored by the Jazz Foundation of America. The Downtown Library is located at 343 S. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor.

Frances Kai-Hwa Wang is a second-generation Chinese American from California who now divides her time between Ann Arbor and the Big Island of Hawaii. She is editor of IMDiversity.com Asian American Village, lead multicultural contributor for AnnArbor.com and a contributor for New America Media's Ethnoblog. She is a popular speaker on Asian Pacific American and multicultural issues. Check out her website at franceskaihwawang.com, her blog at franceskaihwawang.blogspot.com, and she can be reached at fkwang888@gmail.com.