Groovy and swingy, the sounds and songs of the Las Vegas Sands in the 1960s are coming to Vallejo.
On April 5, Kellie Fuller and the Mike Greensill Trio will step back in time at the Empress Marquee Club to revive classics from Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and others with songs like “The Lady is a Tramp” and “Come Fly With Me.”
“Ever since I was a little girl I’ve always loved music that was older than me,” said Fuller. “From the 1920s all the way through to the ’60s, that’s my focus.” Citing names like Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Nancy Sinatra, Fuller recalls how her early childhood was filled with the vintage sounds of her parents record player.
Singing the very classics that first sparked her love for music is what it’s all about for Fuller. Especially since she gets to perform where she first grew up listening to them in Vallejo.
Fuller was dedicated to her craft from the very beginning, teaching herself how to play piano sheet music using jazz standards from the ’40s.
“I made up a whole show using both sides of the “Cuttin’ Papers record,” Fuller laughed. “I sang it and had dance steps to it and everything.”
Even as she grew up, Fuller recalls how her music tastes have always stayed the same. “Barbara Streisand was my musical idol all throughout high school,” Fuller recalled, drawn to her covers of vintage songs. Other key influences included Sarah Vaughan and Dinah Washington and countless others that Fuller continues to return to.
Despite her passion for these artists and songs, Fuller didn’t pursue her singing as a full-time career until 2020, when her grandma passed. Describing that time as one of the hardest she ever experienced, Fuller had a moment where she realized it was time to pursue her music full-time. “She always believed in me,” said Fuller remembering her grandma. “She knew I could go as far as I could go.”
Now, Fuller says her goal has been to perform once a week and expand her reach beyond Napa, both of which have already been happening more often. A regular performer at Blue Note in Napa, Fuller says she loves getting these opportunities in Vallejo. “I’ve always seen myself as being from Vallejo — it’s my roots,” she said.
With shows slated for Palm Springs and maybe Los Angeles, Fuller is excited to see where the next year takes her while also continuing to stick with the music and places that brought her here.
The small intimate settings like the Empress Marquee Club are particularly exciting for Fuller even though she enjoys all different kinds of stages. “What I like with more intimate venues is interacting with the audience,” she said. Whether it’s a spontaneous question to the audience or an audience member shouting something out, Fuller says she and her music director Mike Greensill thrive off the variety.
One time, during a show at Blue Note, Fuller recalled coming out in a suit with a big piece of lint hanging off her pants. A woman in the front row said, “excuse me,” and reached up to take it off, much to the cheers of everyone else. Fuller laughed, remembering the moment as one of the reasons she enjoys the small theater experience.
“Whenever I do a show I like to come out and talk to the audience after,” said Fuller, which often times is mostly an older demographic. “When I see a young person I always go right up to them and they always tell me, ‘I had no idea what it was gonna be like and I’m going to look up that song right away’.”
Not only is Fuller’s childhood a testament to the early interest kids can have in this music, but she also witnessed it firsthand with other kids. During her time running a performance summer workshop for teens, Fuller would pick songs they didn’t know to ensure they wouldn’t copy a well-known artist. She chose jazz standards. “Of course, they didn’t know, but they ended up loving them,” Fuller said.
This music is timeless for a reason, said Fuller. “I would give it a chance, especially if you’re going to a live show it comes across differently than online.”
IF YOU GO:
WHAT: Kellie Fuller and the Mike Greensill Trio
WHERE: The Empress Marquee Club, 324 Virginia St., Vallejo.
WHEN: April 5, 8 p.m.
TICKETS: Tickets range from $45-$65 and can be purchased online at: empresstheatre.org/event/fuller-greensill/
