Copeland Sings the Blues in Her Own Voice

Though she occasionally sounded a bit perky, rather than smoldering, 19-year-old blues singer Shemekia Copeland belted such brazen soul-blues as “I Always Get My Man” with a casual authority beyond her years Thursday at the Mint. And when she dug even deeper for a couple of ballads, she hit all the right emotional notes.

The hourlong set mostly featured upbeat Memphis soul and Texas-style blues from her debut album, “Turn the Heat Up.” Much of that material was brimming with the sexual bravado of traditional blues, though her brash come-ons often recalled soul diva Aretha Franklin.

The show itself was full of conventions, from the 15-minute buildup before Copeland’s entrance to the lively backing quartet’s synchronized moves.

Her presence was never less than compelling, but it was Copeland’s quieter moments that proved the Harlem native a far more promising young lion than, say, teenage guitarist Jonny Lang.

Singing the ballad “Salt in My Wounds” in a dusky voice full of restrained romantic pain, she questioned an ex-lover’s motives for bringing a new girlfriend onto her turf, finding the nuances with unerring instincts and the raw vocal power of Koko Taylor or Etta James.

She has an advantage in having apprenticed in the band of her late father, Texas blues guitarist Johnny Clyde Copeland. But it’s more than just a bloodline; Copeland displayed a gift for tapping the blues’ source without sounding like she’s just parroting others’ styles.