Few who've experienced the pristine acoustics and casual luxury of the Oasis Room in the Garde Arts Center would mistake the venue for a smoke-heavy, beer-scented Mississippi roadhouse.

On Thursday, though, when Grammy-nominated vocalist Shemekia Copeland and her band take the Oasis Room stage, the experience will resound with a genuine and blues-drenched authenticity.

Copeland's latest album, "Outskirts of Love," also nominated for coveted Blues Music Awards trophies, is a glorious work of gritty riffage, tongue-in-groove ensemble work, and Copeland's incredible emotive voice addressing all manners of societal and emotional concerns. This is the blues for 2016 — and proof positive it's an art form that continues to evolve in wondrous ways.

Shemekia Copeland, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oasis Room, Garde Arts Center, 325 State St., New London; $38; (860) 444-7373.