Emmaline and DavidNot every artist takes the same path to stardom.

Emma Campbell was a classically-trained violinist who decided to follow her passion and shift her educational focus to jazz while at university. It paid off, and she began to perform under the name "Emmaline." The singer caught the world's attention a few years ago when she and guitarist Ryan Mondak recorded and released videos which they shared on YouTube and TikTok. Attention grew, and she soon recorded and released three EPs. The small label on which she released these records emphasizes the grass-roots origins of her career.

Sunday evening, Emmaline and her band delivered an excellent concert in front of a sold-out audience at Evanston's SPACE.

EmmalineEmmaline is a beautiful young woman with an amazing voice, an engaging smile, and a top-notch group of musicians behind her. She treated us to a mix of torch songs, sambas, pop songs, and blues melodies - each delivered with the emotion of a classic jazz singer. Between songs, Emmaline related stories of her life and her music, explaining the origins of many of her original songs. She came across as if she was speaking directly to each of us in the audience.

She concluded the evening with a swinging blues song - "Down Home Blues," which she sings in the upcoming movie "Sweetwater."

She is on a path, and I predict that path will lead to stardom.