SOUND PROJECTIONS
AN ONLINE QUARTERLY MUSIC MAGAZINE
EDITOR: KOFI NATAMBU
FALL, 2021
VOLUME TEN NUMBER THREE
NANCY WILSON
Featuring the Musics and Aesthetic Visions of:
NANCY WILSON DONALD HARRISON
(October 2-8)
CHICO FREEMAN
(October 9-15)
BEN WILLIAMS
(October 16-22)
MISSY ELLIOTT
(October 23-29)
SHEMEKIA COPELAND
(October 30-November 5)
VON FREEMAN
(November 6-12)
DAVID BAKER
(November 13-19)
RUTHIE FOSTER
(November 20-26)
VICTORIA SPIVEY
(November 27-December 3)
ANTONIO HART
(December 4-10)
GEORGE ‘HARMONICA’ SMITH
(December 11-17)
JAMISON ROSS
(December 18-24)
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ruthie-foster-mn0000174022/biography
Ruthie Foster
(b. February 10, 1964)
Artist Biography by Steve Leggett
With a naturally expressive voice that has drawn comparisons to greats like Aretha Franklin and Ella Fitzgerald, Texas-based singer and songwriter Ruthie Foster has a wide palette of American song forms -- gospel and blues to jazz, folk, and soul -- and her live performances are powerfully transfiguring. Foster grew up in Gause, Texas, a small town in the Brazos Valley southeast of Dallas, and even as a child she was fascinated by music; she listened to everything she could, hearing and absorbing not just gospel and blues, but also the country and pop songs she heard on the radio. By the age of 14 she was a soloist in a local choir and was certain that her future would revolve around music. When she moved to Waco to attend community college, her studies were concentrated around music and audio engineering. She also began fronting a blues band, learning how to command a stage in the rough bars of Texas. Hoping to travel and gain a wider world perspective, Foster joined the Navy, but her obvious musical talents soon had her singing with Pride, a Navy band that played pop and funk hits at recruitment drives in the southeastern U.S.
Following her tour of duty, Foster landed in New York City, where she regularly played various folk venues. Atlantic Records offered her a recording deal, figuring they had a budding pop star on their hands, but Foster wasn't interested in moving in that direction, preferring instead to explore the various strains of American roots music that had informed her childhood. When her mother fell ill in 1993, Foster left New York and her recording deal and returned to Texas. She began working as a camera operator and production assistant at a TV station in College Station, Texas while she cared for her mother, who passed in 1996. A year later in 1997 Foster self-released the album Full Circle before hooking up with Blue Corn Music, which released Crossover in 1999, Runaway Soul in 2002, Stages (featuring a series of live tracks) in 2004, Heal Yourself in 2006, The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster in 2008, and The Truth According to Ruthie Foster, recorded at Ardent Studios in Memphis, in 2009.
An engaging live performer, Foster continued to tour regularly, wowing audiences with her powerful voice and stylistic range, all of which were captured in the concert CD/DVD set Live at Antone's, which appeared from Blue Corn in 2011. A new studio outing, Let It Burn, followed in 2012, also from Blue Corn; it was nominated for the Best Blues Album Grammy in 2013. Foster took home the Koko Taylor Award for Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year in 2012, along with the DVD of the Year for Live at Antone's. Foster switched her approach in 2014 with Promise of a Brand New Day, a record produced by Meshell Ndegeocello. She recorded 2017's Joy Comes Back in her hometown of Austin, Texas with producer Daniel Barrett and a collection of sympathetic musicians.
Foster returned in May 2020 with Live At The Paramount, a record that captured a January 2019 concert she gave at the Austin venue with her Big Band.
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/ruthie-foster
Ruthie Foster
If you do, word gets around. And one day, you find yourself duetting with Bonnie Raitt, or standing onstage with the Allman Brothers at New York’s Beacon Theater and trading verses with Susan Tedeschi. You might even wind up getting nominated for a Best Blues Album Grammy — three times in a row. And those nominations would be in addition to your seven Blues Music Awards, three Austin Music Awards, the Grand Prix du Disque award from the Académie Charles-Cros in France, a Living Blues Critics’ Award for Female Blues Artist of the Year, and the title of an “inspiring American Artist” as a United States Artists 2018 Fellow.
There’s only one Austinite with that résumé: Ruthie Foster. The small rural town of Gause, TX had no chance of keeping the vocal powerhouse known as Ruthie Foster to itself. Described by Rolling Stone as “pure magic to watch and hear,” her vocal talent was elevated in worship services at her community church. Drawing influence from legendary acts like Mavis Staples and Aretha Franklin, Foster developed a unique sound unable to be contained within a single genre. That uniqueness echoes a common theme in Ruthie’s life and career - marching to the beat of her own drum.
Joining the Navy was one way for Ruthie to stake out her own path. It was during her time singing for the Navy band Pride that her love for performing became apparent. After leaving the service, Ruthie signed a development deal with Atlantic Records and moved to New York City to pursue a career as a professional musician.
A deal with a major label would seem to be a dream come true for a budding artist. But the label wanted Ruthie to hand over her authenticity in exchange for being molded into a pop star. In another bold move, she walked away from the deal and returned to her roots, moving back to the Lone Star State.
Returning to Texas, Ruthie solidified her place as an up-and-coming singer/songwriter and began a musical partnership with Blue Corn Music. Her studio albums for the label began with "Runaway Soul" in 2002, followed by "The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster" in 2007, "The Truth According to Ruthie Foster" in 2009, "Let It Burn" in 2012, "Promise of a Brand New Day" in 2014 and "Joy Comes Back" in 2017. Her live shows, which she has referred to as a “hallelujah time,” have been documented on the album “Stages" in 2004 and the CD/DVD release “Ruthie Foster Live at Antone’s" in 2011.
Ruthie’s latest album "Live at the Paramount", released on May 15, 2020, swings back to the days (and nights) when Lady Ella sang Ellington and Sinatra blasted off with Count Basie and Quincy Jones. Recorded on the night of January 26, 2019 on the 105-year-old stage of Austin’s grand-dame Paramount Theater, it features the Ruthie Foster Big Band: a guitarist, keyboardist, bassist and drummer, plus 10 horn players, three backing vocalists and one conductor. As Ruthie wraps her oh-so-malleable, impeccably nuanced voice around each song, the wisdom of her selections, the strength of each arrangement, their near-seamless flow and the outstanding talent of her band converge into yet another reminder that Foster’s artistry really is in a league of its own.
Ruthie Foster
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ruthie Cecelia Foster (born February 10, 1964)[1] is an American singer-songwriter of blues and folk music. She mixes a wide palette of American song forms, from gospel and blues to jazz, folk and soul. She has often been compared to Bonnie Raitt and Aretha Franklin.[2]
Biography
Foster is from Gause, Texas and comes from a family of gospel singers. At the age of fourteen, Ruthie was a soloist in her hometown choir, and was certain that her future would revolve around music. After high school, she moved to Waco, Texas to attend community college, where her studies concentrated in music and audio engineering. She began fronting a blues band, learning how to command a stage in the bars of Texas.[3]
Hoping to travel and gain a wider world perspective, Foster joined the Navy, and soon her musical talents had her singing in the naval band Pride, that played pop and funk hits at recruitment drives in the southeastern United States. Following her tour of duty, Foster headed to New York City where she became a regular performer at various local folk venues. Atlantic Records got wind of Foster's talent and offered her a recording deal, with the intent of cultivating her as a budding pop star, but Foster wasn't interested in a pop career, preferring instead to explore the various strains of American roots music that had informed her childhood. When her mother fell ill in 1993, Foster left New York and her recording deal and returned to Texas to be with her family. She began working as a camera operator and production assistant at a television station in College Station, Texas while she cared for her mother, who died in 1996.
In 1997 Foster self-released the album Full Circle, the success of which paved the way to a long relationship with the record label Blue Corn Music.[3]
Blue Corn released the follow up album Crossover in 1999, Runaway Soul in 2002, and Stages (featuring a series of live tracks) in 2004. Foster's next release was Heal Yourself in 2006, followed by the studio album The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster in 2008 which was produced by Papa Mali.[4] In 2009, Blue Corn released The Truth According to Ruthie Foster which was produced by Grammy-winning producer Chris Goldsmith[5] and recorded at Ardent Studios in Memphis.[3] The Truth According to Ruthie Foster earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album. A second album of Foster's live performances, Live At Antone's (CD and DVD), was released in 2011. In 2012, Blue Corn released the studio album Let It Burn, which featured special guests The Blind Boys of Alabama, William Bell and the rhythm section of The Funky Meters, and was produced by Grammy Award winner John Chelew.[6] Let It Burn earned Foster a second Grammy nomination, this time for Best Blues Album, and was the vehicle for numerous Blues Music Awards won by Foster. Her most recent album, Joy Comes Back, was released by Blue Corn Music in 2017.
Ruthie Foster 2008.
Foster's awards list has grown in the last few years. These awards include three Grammy nominations (Let It Burn for Best Blues Album, The Truth According to Ruthie Foster for Best Contemporary Blues Album, and Promise of a Brand New Day for Best Blues Album[7][8]), her numerous wins at the Blues Music Awards, including three awards for Best Female Vocalist and one for DVD of the Year for Live At Antone's, and Foster's crown for Best Female Vocalist at the 2013 Austin Music Awards.[3][9] In 2016, she was nominated for two Living Blues Awards and won the Koko Taylor Award for Best Traditional Female Blues Artist.[10] Her list of honors also include a nomination from the Living Blues Awards for Best Live Performer.[10]
Foster performed with the Allman Brothers Band in 2012 at their annual Beacon Theatre run in New York City. She sang on four songs, including a cover version of "The Weight", on which she traded verses with Susan Tedeschi.[11] She has toured with the Blind Boys of Alabama as well as Warren Haynes and also appears on Haynes' album Man In Motion.[12] She was featured in February 2013 as a special guest on House of Blues and Elwood Blue's radio show, The BluesMobile,[13] as well as an appearance in November 2012 in Austin Live: Tick Tock, a video short produced by the City of Austin.[3][14] She performed at the Texas State Society of Washington D.C.'s Presidential Inauguration Ball in January 2013.[15]
Foster continues to tour extensively all over the world. As of 2016, her shows have spanned across the U.S., Italy, Germany, Spain, and Cuba.[10]
Ruthie Foster performing at the Kitchener Blues Festival 2018
She announced details for a Spring 2017 album during an in-depth career retrospective interview with The Pods & Sods Network in November 2016.[16] That album, titled Joy Comes Back, was released on March 24, 2017, via Blue Corn Records,[17] and included collaborations with several artists, including Derek Trucks of the Tedeschi Trucks Band. Following Hurricane Harvey which damaged many coastal cities in Foster's home state of Texas, she was invited to participate in a benefit concert including Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Paul Simon, and James Taylor.[18] Another significant moment was Foster's performance at Carnegie Hall in February 2018.[19] Foster was also awarded one of US Artists' fellowship awards, which recognized her contributions to her field, accompanied by an unrestricted $50,000 award.[20]
Discography
Full Circle (1997) : M.O.D. Records[21]
Crossover (1999) : M.O.D. Records[22]
Runaway Soul (2002) : Blue Corn Music[23]
Stages (2004) : Blue Corn Music[24]
The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster (2007) : Blue Corn Music[25][26]
The Truth According to Ruthie Foster (2009) : Blue Corn Music[27][28]
Live at Antone's (2011) : Blue Corn Music (CD and DVD)
Let It Burn (2012) : Blue Corn Music[29]
Promise of a Brand New Day (2014) : Blue Corn Music[30]
Joy Comes Back (2017) : Blue Corn Music[31]
Live At The Paramount (2020) : Blue Corn Music
Awards and honors
2008 Blues Music Awards Nominee – Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year[32]
2009 Blues Music Awards Nominee – Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year[32]
2010 Grammy Award Nominee - The Truth According to Ruthie Foster nominated for Best Contemporary Blues Album[33]
2010 Blues Music Awards Winner – Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year[32]
2010 Living Blues Critics' Poll Winner – Blues Artist of the Year (Female)[32]
2011 Blues Music Awards Winner – Koko Taylor Award for Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year[34]
2011 Living Blues Awards Nominee – Blues Artist of the Year (Female)[32]
2012 Blues Music Awards[35]
Winner: Koko Taylor Award for Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year
Winner: DVD of the Year for Live at Antone's
Nominee: B.B. King Entertainer of the Year
2012 Grammy Award Nominee – Let It Burn nominated for Best Blues Album[36]
2013 Blues Music Awards Winner – Koko Taylor Award for Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year[37]
2014 Grammy Award Nominee - Promise of a Brand New Day nominated for Best Blues Album[7]
2015 Blues Music Awards Winner – Koko Taylor Award for Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year[38]
2016 Living Blues Award Nominee - Blues Artist of the Year (Female) and Best Live Performer[10]
2016 Blues Music Awards Winner – Koko Taylor Award for Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year[39]
2018 US Artists Fellowship Award[20]
2018 Blues Music Award Winner - Koko Taylor Award for Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year[40]
2019 Texas Music Hall of Fame Inductee (Austin Music Awards)[41]
2019 Blues Music Award Winner - Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female)[42]
Other sources
- Corcoran, Michael (June 27, 2002). "Ruthie Foster will make a believer out of you". Austin American-Statesman (TX). Retrieved June 17, 2009.
- Bass, Shermakaye (June 5, 2003). "Soul Power, The gospel according to Ruthie Foster". Dallas Observer. Village Voice Media. Retrieved June 17, 2009.
- Dreilinger, Danielle (March 22, 2004). "Ruthie Foster & Cyd Cassone: two souls". Sing Out!. Retrieved June 17, 2009.
- Jordan, Mark (September 16, 2010). "Ruthie Foster introduces folk to soul". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
- "Ruthie Foster". Ruthie Foster. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
External links
- Official web site
- Ruthie Foster collection at the Internet Archive's live music archive
- Ruthie Foster Biography at AllMusic
https://guitargirlmag.com/interviews/ruthie-foster-its-about-setting-the-table-for-joy/
Ruthie Foster: It’s About Setting the Table for Joy
To say that Ruthie Foster has left her mark on American music would be an understatement. The three-time GRAMMY nominee has moved fluidly from genre to genre throughout her career, ranging from gospel to blues to folk to jazz, and the list goes on. She has shared the stage with the likes of the Allman Brothers and Bonnie Raitt, as well as earned countless awards. Her resume is undoubtedly impressive, but her musical skills are even more so.
Ruthie’s warm, smooth voice melts on the soul like butter while her guitar echoes sweet chords and harmonies. Her journey began in a musical family and eventually led her to performing in the Navy and pursuing a career as a professional musician. Despite tempting offers from major labels, Ruthie stayed true to her roots and has proven that her music sounds best in its most authentic form. In her newest album, Live From The Paramount, Ruthie takes a whole new approach to dynamics and phrasing with the help of her big band. Though she is clearly not afraid to try new things, the heartbeat of her music is always consistent: love, loss, and finding joy in the darkest of times. With all of the uncertainty in the world right now, we need Ruthie Foster’s music more than ever.
First of all, how are you holding up during this pandemic? Are you using this downtime to rest, or stay creative?
You know, it’s a little bit of both. A little bit of rest, but I’ve been creative. I try to write every day. These days, I try to pump out a song a week. I did a Livestream a couple of days ago too. But I have a nine-year-old as well, so she keeps me busy. Because, you know, all the kids are going through online schooling right now. So that keeps me learning as well. It’s really interesting to watch what she’s learning too.
When did you first realize that music would be a lifelong passion?
You know, I’m still wondering if that’s going to work out. [laughs] Joking aside, I guess I knew pretty much as early on as my daughter’s age—she’s nine. I knew then that the music was going to be a part of something I wanted to do. I wasn’t sure where my place in it would be, mostly because I grew up with a lot of great singers in my family and in the Baptist Church. I had cousins that were just really great singers. They would sing everywhere, on the bus on the way to and from school. It really had a way of moving the energy in the room when it came to singing, and I loved that. I wanted to be a part of that in some way. I actually saw myself more as a backup piano player or a guitar player than anything. I never really wanted to sing because I had so many great singers in my family. To me, that was like, “Oh, okay, well, you guys have that. I’ll just play.” So who knew that I would end up out front? But here I am. It’s all part of the journey, I guess.
Do you feel like your sound has evolved over time?
I feel like it’s still evolving, really. I guess my last CD kind of says that. It gave me a chance to go into a totally different realm, and that’s big band music. That [CD] was important for me to put out for my fans. A lot of them heard me talk about being a big fan, but never really grabbed the concept of what I did, and that was something that was really fun for me to do—apart from the blues and the albums I’ve put out before. I’m hoping that this will be well received, and I can keep putting out more concept albums because I’ve got a background in a lot of different things. I went to school and studied voice. I was singing Italian and French arias before I was even allowed to sing pop music. A lot of folks don’t know that, so there are a lot of surprises coming down the pike. I think my sound really evolved from singing gospel music as a kid to blues and folk music. The Beatles and James Taylor, those were the songs I started out learning on the guitar. I had a good book that had guitar chords. Most of the songs were Beatles songs that got me into playing folk music, then playing a lot of folk festivals, which I still do. So I think I do okay hopping around different genres in that way. My own music, the music that I write, is evolving all the time.
Your newest album, Live at the Paramount,
consists of a full big band, with horn arrangements and everything. Do
you feel like this enhances the original tone of your songs?
Oh, definitely. It’s more interesting to be on stage when you’ve got horns behind you, especially brass, and they’re blowing right at the back of your head. It’s not about trying to outsing them; it’s about changing your style. You’re trying to sing in the “holes” or open spaces. I’ll try to find a hole and sing into that. It’s kind of like acrobatics onstage when it comes to singing with a big band. It’s just so fun. The musicians were awesome readers, but they also have a great feel. They’re not just looking at the page in front of them. They are really fantastic individuals. It was just a blast.
How did the song “Joy Comes Back” come to fruition for you?
My producer brought that song to me, and I just fell in love with that tune and what it says. I think it really applies to what’s going on right now. We’ve got a lot of folks who don’t spend a lot of time alone, and now they have to! I think the song is perfect for the atmosphere right now and giving people a little bit of hope. That’s what the song did for me because I was in a place where I needed to hear it. And that’s why I try to put out music that moves me, and says something to me, because I know I’m not by myself when I feel something. That’s what I try to relay in the music that I pick for my albums. I try to pick out songs that I know are going to hit the heart, that folks can relate to. Nothing against the blues, you know, but I like songs that talk about real-life issues too. That’s what “Joy Comes Back” does for me. Also, it spoke to me in a way that my grandmother—I called her Big Mama—would speak to me. I would go to her and just sit at her feet when I was having a rough time, and she would always remind me, “Baby, it’s just about setting the table. You got to set yourself up for what’s coming. Just know it’s on the way. Know that good things are on the way.” So it’s about setting the table for joy, and joy will just walk right on in. Just set yourself up for it. That’s what that song says to me. It’s like my Big Mama talking to me. So I wanted to spread that around.
What is the inspiration behind the powerful track “Phenomenal Woman”?
I wish I’d written it, but it’s written by Dr. Maya Angelou. It’s based off of one of her poems—this is just my interpretation. I just love what it says because I’ve been a huge Maya Angelou fan since I was a little girl. I had to record it because we need to hear it. We, as women, need to know that we are enough. That song just can’t be sung enough for me. It’s just a reminder that we’re here, we’re okay, and we’re enough. It says, “I don’t care what you think. I don’t care what he or she thinks. I know I am plenty. You think you can handle this? Come on!”
What does the songwriting process look like for you?
It changes these days. I’ve got little bits and pieces of songs scattered all over from things I’ve sung into my phone to song titles. You should see my office right now! It’s a mess because that’s what I’m doing now—just finding bits and pieces of things that I’ve started and didn’t finish. I found that’s a good place to start. When you don’t know where to start, just start with a little bit of something and see where it goes. With this quarantine going on, that’s been my homework. I get in my studio, and I’ll find a title and go from there. I’ll spend about three or four days working on the verse. I might even start with the chorus, something that just moves me enough to sing it over and over again. I’ll think, “Okay, that’s a chorus. All right, so I can work from the middle and go out.” Sometimes it’s just picking up the guitar and finding a riff I like and then putting words to that. Sometimes I use music software, and I’ll pull up a drum track and just write to that. It changes, really.
Tell us about your version of the classic Johnny Cash tune,
“Ring of Fire.” What inspired you to take this song in a new direction?
I was living in a place where I had my studio in my bedroom, and I had just come back from a two-month tour. I was just beaten up. I remember getting up in the middle of the night, dragging myself over to the piano, and just playing chords that just felt good to play. Those were the words that came out when I decided to sing to it—“Ring of Fire.” The chords just really work well together. I love major sevenths, and so you hear a few of those in there. It was just one of those quiet nights, and I think I was sick, too, full of Nyquil. [laughs] It turns out I had a chance to do this for Rosanne Cash, and she loves it! She said, “You know, it really captures that love affair that they had between each other. It’s kind of giving you the other side of their story.” I think it’s really, really cool that she really enjoyed that version of it. She told me, “That was the second-best version of that song I’ve ever heard!”
Do you have a favorite guitar?
No, not really. I tend to give my guitars away after a while. Once I’ve gotten what I can out of them, I try to auction them off or just enter them into a contest so someone else can put their magic in it. There’s a Gibson that I play right now, and she’s just waiting to be played. There are about four or five guitars hanging on my wall. I do like to have a guitar out just so that I keep playing it. I tell people all the time who have guitars, “Get them out of the cases. Get them out of the closet. Just get a stand. If anything, just have it out so that it’s waiting to be played.” What’s the use of having a guitar if you don’t have it out? One of my favorite ones that I have out is my dobro. That one is sitting out in my living room. I call her Jessie Mae. She just makes the whole living room shine. I love it. I love showing her off. She’s like part of the conversation when I do have people over.
What advice do you have for other likeminded artists?
I would say know your worth. Walk and talk that. Because as women, we get underestimated all the time. It’s important to know that you are worthy of being in this industry or any walk of life, really. Just walk and talk it, and you’ll be all right. Because when no one else is validating you, you got your own back. Know that there are people out there that will lift you up too. It’s okay to ask for help because there are people who will not only lift you but carry you when you need that. Just for a little while, at least. So know your worth, know that you are enough.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Alex Windsor is a passionate musician and educator with over 15 years of
experience. While she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music with an
emphasis in Jazz Studies (Bass), she has also extensively studied rock,
blues, and classical guitar. She currently serves as the Educational
Affairs Specialist for Guitar Center Lessons. Alex can be found
regularly performing around the greater Los Angeles area.
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/ruthie-foster-singing-the-blues-by-james-nadal
Ruthie Foster: Singing The Blues
Let It Burn
Blue Corn Music
2012
Although she is recognized by both audience and peers as a highly accomplished guitarist, on her 2012 release Let It Burn, she put down her guitar and opted for concentrating on vocals, at least for recording purposes. She delved deep into her gospel lineage and was joined by The Blind Boys of Alabama on four tracks, notably "Lord Remember Me," where she transports everyone to church. Acknowledged as a brilliant interpreter of any song she chooses, Foster can easily navigate from soul to rock, and shines on anything that resembles Americana, as The Band's "It Makes No Difference," the June Carter favorite "Ring Of Fire," and Pete Seeger's "If I Had A Hammer." All of these jewels she brought way down in tempo and turned them into emotional poignant ballads and hymns.
Recorded at Piety Studios in New Orleans, Let It Burn boasts exemplary accompanists as bassist George Porter Jr., Ike Stubblefield on heavenly organ, and Big Easy legend James Rivers on tenor sax. The spirit and ambience of New Orleans will constantly ooze into whatever is recorded there, and this was no exception. Foster ventured into the Crescent City with well thought out intentions, and came out with a remarkable record showcasing her total mastery of that exceptional idiom where secular plus sacred equals soul.
Promise Of A Brand New Day
Blue Corn Music
2014
On a career that had seen her weave in and out of blues delineations, Ruthie Foster hunkered down on Promise Of A Brand New Day and released a portrayal of an artist willing and able to establish her own rules. This record shows she is more than adept at covering the spectrum of any songbook, and is not afraid to take chances. Prepared with seven original tunes, and prudently chosen covers, Foster went into the studio with bassist extraordinaire Meshell Ndegeocello handling the production duties, and the result is an evenly balanced modern portrait of a multi-faceted artist.
"Singing The Blues," is an infectious number that reflects that the blues has come a long way both rhythmically and melodically, with Foster's vocal setting the tone for what lies ahead. "Let Me Know," is a hard electric shuffler, leading into "My Kinda Lover," a perfect study of vintage rhythm and blues. "Outlaw," would be perfect for those barroom gigs back in Foster's hometown of Austin, Texas, complete with the compulsory swagger and bravado. Then it's back to the soulful groove in "It Might Not Be Right" highlighted by Ndegeocello's solid bass work.
Adhering to the concept of winding down on the album, "Believe," has that sanctified Staples Singers feel that conjures up repentance and redemption. "Brand New Day," done acappella, with only a single tambourine marking time, leaves no doubt that Foster cannot venture far from her gospel background. She turns on her soft acoustic side on "Complicated Love," and on the closing track "New." There is a flawless synchronization of the song selection and placement throughout that makes this a pleasant listening experience, letting one down easy.
These two records are a compilation of songs depicting the far reaching vocalist that is Ruthie Foster. Though her magnificent guitar abilities in her live performances, as well as videos, are well documented and respected, her decision to go with only her voice on these two productions displays a confidence that is obvious in the concluding analysis. She not only has the credentials to venture into the rarefied air of authentic soul singers, but has proved that she is quite at home singing the blues.
Tracks and Personnel
Let It Burn
Tracks: Welcome Home; Set Fire to The Rain; This Time; You Don't Miss Your Water; Everlasting Light; Lord Remember Me; Ring Of Fire; Aim For the Heart; It Makes No Difference; Long Time Gone; Don't Want to Know; If I Had A Hammer; The Titanic.
Personnel: Ruthie Foster: vocals; George Porter Jr.: bass; Ike Stubblefield: Hammond B3 organ, piano; Russell Batiste: drums; Dave Easley: pedal steel guitar; James Rivers: tenor sax.
Promise Of A Brand New Day
Tracks: Singing The Blues; Let Me Know; My Kinda Lover; The Ghetto; Outlaw; Second Coming; It Might Not Be Right; Learning To Fly; Believe; Brand New Day; Complicated Love; New.
Personnel: Ruthie Foster: vocals; Meshell Ndegeocello: bass; Chris Bruce: guitar; Ivan Edwards: drums; Jebin Bruni: keyboards; Nayanna Holley: background vocals.
https://americansongwriter.com/ruthie-foster-joy-comes-back/
Ruthie Foster
Joy Comes Back
(Blue Corn Music)
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Anyone looking for soulful, self-empowering, inspirational music should already be familiar with Ruthie Foster.
The Texas singer-songwriter has been stirring a pot of it, all wrapped around a clear, powerful voice at home with gospel, folk, pop, and especially soul on a string of eight previous studio albums (and one terrific live one) starting in 1999. Look no further than the titles to Foster’s previous release, The Promise of a Brand New Day, and this one, to get a sense of her positivity, often in the face of adversity.
The three time Best Blues Album Grammy nominee isn’t necessarily a blues singer. Only a peppy, Cajun/folk cover of Mississippi John Hurt’s sassy “Richland Woman Blues” on this set could qualify in that genre. Instead Foster and producer/multi-instrumentalist Daniel Barrett collaborate on a clutch of mostly obscure tunes that range from Chris Stapleton’s “What Are You Listening To?” (a track that predated his Traveller breakthrough) to the Four Tops’ Motown classic “Loving You is Sweeter than Ever” and even a swamped up, harmonica driven version of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs,” with Foster on Dobro, sure to attract crossover attention.
Foster’s strength is singing about overcoming life’s obstacles as in “Good Sailor”’s chorus of “I almost drowned a time or two/ easy living never did me no favors/ smooth seas never made a good sailor.” Ditto for the churchy title track, assisted by Derek Trucks’ instantly recognizable spiraling slide guitar, that could be a Staples Singers rarity. But for all the hopeful material such as the biblically inspired “Abraham” (“when I do good, I feel good/ when I do bad, I feel bad/ that’s my religion”), Foster’s malleable voice that effortlessly shifts from intimate to soaring, doesn’t come off as preachy or pushy. Honesty and passion are easy buzzwords yet they perfectly describe Foster’s approach to all her music, and especially these ten tracks.
The album’s eclectic nature never feels random. Rather, it highlight’s Foster’s natural inclusive qualities and showcases an artist who, nearly two decades into her recording career, has refined and elaborated her vision of empowered redemption, both of which are in full flight on the superb Joy Comes Back.
https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/the-phenomenal-ruthie-foster/
Music
The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster
by Jeff McCord
Those lucky enough to have caught RUTHIE FOSTER live, particularly years back when she sat in with the Austin gospel act the Imperial Golden Crown Harmonizers, know something her albums have never fully betrayed: She’s a stone soul singer who’s been masquerading as a folk act. No longer. THE PHENOMENAL RUTHIE FOSTER (Blue Corn Music) is a throwback to an era when gospel-tinged Southern soul ruled the airwaves. Decades ago it was also common to see titles like The Incredible Jimmy Smith and The Genius of Ray Charles; while such immodesty has long been out of vogue, Foster wears it well. Her voice is a typhoon, bold and rich, with a tendency to suck up everything in the room. Though the album’s arrangements are all of a piece and the recording is thin, the playing is solid. And the song selection (originals, plus covers of Son House, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and Lucinda Williams) is superb. Credit Harmonizer bandmate Malcolm “Papa Mali” Welbourne, who coaxed Foster back to the music of her youth by taking away her acoustic and sitting her at a Wurlitzer piano. From there, it instantly became all about the groove.
https://downbeat.com/news/detail/ruthie-foster-a-joyful-comeback
Ruthie Foster’s new album, Joy Comes Back, was released March 24 on Blue Corn Music. (Photo: Riccardo Piccirillo)
If you’re not smiling as you listen to Ruthie Foster’s new album, Joy Comes Back, then you might want to check the condition of your heart. On this album, her eighth release on Blue Corn Music, Foster joyfully delivers a set of ten infectious songs that carry powerful images of hope and love, especially as they arise out of the ashes of desolation and gloom.
Foster has won six Female Artist of the Year/Koko Taylor Blues Music Awards, and has been nominated three times in a row for a Grammy for Best Blues Album. She recently sat down with DownBeat to discuss her life in music and the making of Joy Comes Back.
What’s the story behind your new album?
It’s been three years between this album and the last one, and I’ve
been going through some transitions in my life: the end of a long-term
relationship, splitting a household and custody of my daughter, who’s 5
years old. These three years have just been about getting on my feet.
Music just became my therapy. On this record I wanted to focus on
joy—letting my spirit rejoice on a daily basis. Having a five-year-old
makes you appreciate the simple things in life. (Laughs) Music just became my therapy.
How did you select the songs for the album?
Because I’d been going through so much these past few years, I hadn’t written very much. So, [producer/multi-instrumentalist] Daniel [Barrett] and I would go into the studio and listen to a lot of songs and talk about life. It was refreshing to be a listener and to hear these great songs. Chris Stapleton’s “What Are You Listening To?” took me to that place of being with a person and listening to music together … I loved Grace Pettis’ “Good Sailor,” which she co-wrote with Haley Cole, as soon as I heard it and was mad I hadn’t written it. (laughs) I had played songs by her father, Pierce Pettis, so I loved this connection.
Shawnee Kilgore’s “Abraham” spoke to me. Lincoln fought depression. I felt like I could relate to that; it’s where my head was. The simple truth is doing the right thing. It’s about being a compassionate person. I could see the song being sung at concerts. Dan and I played Deb Talan’s “Forgiven,” and it just ripped me wide open. I stopped resisting, and at that moment I knew I wanted to make this album.
You do an acoustic version of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” on the album. How did you decide to do that one?
Well, I just strapped on the resonator for “Richland Woman Blues,” and then I thought I’d have some fun and started playing this song. It was our way of having Son House and Ozzy in the room having a little jam session. (laughs)
You wrote one song for the album.
Yes, “Open Sky.” it is a throwback to that r&b feel. I was afraid of going into a new relationship, of going to this new place with a new person. My friends advised me to stay single for a while. Even now I find that having a partner is really just about having somebody who has your back.
What’s your process of songwriting like? When did you start writing songs?
It’s different every time I sit down to write. Sometimes it’s just a title; other times it’s a riff. It’s about where my hands take me when I sit down. I do schedule time to write, though when I’m on the road I can’t always schedule the time. I started writing songs in my early and mid-teens. I was the neighborhood babysitter. Writing songs was my way of getting the kids to settle down. Writing was my refuge, my place to go; that’s when I discovered Maya Angelou and Gwendolyn Brooks.
Your songs feature this incredible call and response between your voice and your guitar. How do you achieve that?
That’s an awesome question, and I really do feel like that’s what I’m doing with my music. The way I play rhythm guitar come from the rhythms of sermons. I used to listen to this Holiness preacher, and he’s the one who taught me to use my voice in call and response to my guitar. So, that’s the way I play rhythm guitar and it’s probably why I’m not a lead player. Slide guitar has some of that same character; it’s a gumbo of everything, so I’ve made it my quest to learn how to play it.
Did you start out on guitar?
I asked for a guitar, and my dad got me one, but my mom insisted I
learn to play piano first. But I started on piano. I taught myself
guitar while I was playing piano. The piano teacher’s husband played
guitar, and he gave me a few lessons on the side, too. I still take
lessons, too, because I want to keep getting better and there’s always
more to learn.
In many ways, this is a gospel album.
Well, I started singing in gospel, and I still sing in other groups when I can. I always start with gospel. I think I’d use the phrase gospel-infused; it’s part of everything I do. On “Joy Comes Back,” we went so far as to get on our knees, and put our hands in a pair of high-heeled shoes and tap—well, bang—them on the oak floor of the studio so we could capture the sound of the sisters’ tapping their high heels in the choirs in the churches I grew up in. I had blues tapes my dad made for me, so I also grew up listening to Lightin’ Hopkins, Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. I play gospel-infused blues, folk and roots.
If you could sit down for lunch with any three writers, living or dead, who would they be?
I would love to sit down with Hemingway and pick his brain. I got a
chance to hang out at Hemingway’s house when I was in Cuba. I’d also
invite Sam Cooke, because I’d love to sit across the table from him. I’d
like to see how he and Hemingway would get along. (laughs) I’d
also invite Maya Angelou; I grew up reading her, and I started writing
poetry because of reading her work. It would be quite a lunch.
How do you think you’ve grown as an artist?
I’ve learned a lot about how to use my voice. I’ve had vocal training
so I know when I can sing and when I shouldn’t sing. I can have
laryngitis and I know now how I can sing over that. As a guitar player,
I’ve learned a great deal about being a better guitar player by standing
next to some great guitar players. As an artist, I’ll never lose this
hunger for music.
What’s next for you?
What I’m really looking forward to is seeing where this album goes once we play it live. I’m learning to just say “yes.” Every day, life is an adventure. DB
https://relix.com/articles/detail/woman-at-work-ruthie-foster/
Woman At Work: Ruthie Foster
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Photo by JohnmCarrico
When we last heard from Ruthie Foster, she was providing the fiery, soulful backing vocals on Warren Haynes’ Man in Motion album. The release of her new record Let It Burn finds the Texas-born Foster leading an outstanding group of musicians – bassist George Porter Jr., drummer Russell Batiste, Hammond B3 player Ike Stubblefield, saxophonist James Rivers and guitarist Dave Easley – through a mix of covers and self-penned originals that range from gospel-inspired rave-ups to sultry jazz torchers.
Foster – who received a Grammy nomination in 2010 for The Truth According to Ruthie Foster – grew up in Gause, Texas, a small town about two hours north of Austin, where she lives today. She was surrounded by musicians on both sides of her family. “Most of the church choir when I was growing up was [made up of] my relatives,” she says. “It was quite intimidating to have so many incredible voices around me.”
In fact, Foster had concentrated on playing the guitar and piano until one day in her early teens when her mother said, “Baby, you’ve got to open your mouth and sing – it’s your turn.”
And once Foster did, there was no turning back. Since then, her life has been a journey of self-discovery and honing her skills, although she says, “whatever comes out of my mouth is always going to sound a little bit like gospel – I can’t leave that home.”
Highlights on Let It Burn include a dreamy, smoky take on the June Carter classic “Ring Of Fire,” that feels like it’s being sung across a pillowcase; a powerful version of David Crosby’s “Long Time Gone,” featuring the Blind Boys of Alabama; and a total hallelujah blow-out jam on The Black Keys’ “Everlasting Light.”
“We were playing [ “Everlasting Light” ] live in the studio and I had great eye contact with George Porter [Jr.]," she says. “He could tell I wanted to go somewhere with the song and he followed me – and everyone else followed him.”
Foster has what she calls her “own set of superstars” for her live shows in 2012: drummer Samantha Banks, bassist Tanya Richardson and B3 player Scottie “Bones” Miller – with Foster handling guitar duties herself. “I always write out a setlist,” she says, “but I let the crowd take me to where they want to go.”
https://www.bluesblastmagazine.com/featured-interview-ruthie-foster-2/
Featured interview – Ruthie Foster
After all, anyone who’s crossed paths with her knows she’s as downhome as her Texas roots, and her music – which mixes blues, gospel, soul and more – carries forward the songster tradition established by the first generation of bluesmen a century ago. Usually backing herself on acoustic Gibson guitar in a small-band setting, her golden pipes deliver a potent musical stew that warms both your heart and soul.
Don’t be fooled, though. Ruthie’s got plenty of uptown cool in her, too.
It might come as a shock when fans discover that she’s fronting a 14-piece orchestra and backup singers and swinging from the hip old-school on her latest album, which was recorded live in Austin. And believe it or not, it’s the culmination of a longstanding dream to break out of the mold she’s establishing during the past 20-odd years and to return to the roots that longtime listeners haven’t a clue exists.
A gentle, friendly, welcoming person whose manner makes you comfortable the moment she opens her mouth, Blues Blast caught up with Ruthie by phone recently. Instead of being on a tour that would have taken her to Memphis, Charleston, S.C., and Savannah, Ga., as she’d planned, she was relaxing at home with daughter Maya as the world around her quickly screeched to a halt.
She remained calm, cool, collected and soft-spoken despite the troubles that are currently sweeping the globe, clearly exhibiting the positive energies she exhibits on stage as she moves confidently from one song to the next and leaving folks in even the cheapest of seats feeling like they’re the only folks in the room.
Considering that she was raised in a family of gospel singers and blues lovers, though, it’s not surprising.
“I grew up in a family of churchgoers, for sure,” she says, “and everybody sang. In fact, singin’ solo in the choir was kinda a rite of passage in my family. Everybody had to do it.”
It was an accomplishment she achieved at age 14.
Foster spent her childhood growing up in the unincorporated town of Gause, Texas, a hamlet with more churches than schools and about 400 residents who live in the Brazos Valley about 150 miles southeast of Dallas and a half-hour west of College Station.
Her earliest influences came through the recordings of gospel superstars Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Mahalia Jackson as well as Aretha Franklin and the Rev. James Cleveland, the man credited with updating the artform in the ‘30s after it had been created by Rev. Thomas Dorsey –formerly known as the blues singer Georgia Tom, a decade before. Cleveland’s work laid the groundwork for modern gospel, which incorporates elements of soul, pop and jazz today.
“My mother used to listen to all those albums,” Foster says, “especially Sister Rosetta and the young Aretha, when her father, Rev. C.L. Franklin, put out albums and Aretha was part of the service. I grew up listenin’ to that.
The most heavily recorded country bluesman of his era, Hopkins grew up in Centerville — not far in Lone Star State terms from Gause, and Ruthie actually got to meet several members of his Houston-based family at the dedication of a statue honoring him in neighboring Crockett, near the site of a juke joint where he used to play.
The songster tradition – a mix of folk songs, ballads, dance and minstrel tunes – came to her “by osmosis,” Foster says. “It’s in my DNA, for sure!”
Despite that influence, however, the seven-time winner of the Blues Foundation’s Koko Taylor Award consistently delivers music in a contemporary manner despite being rooted in the sounds of previous generations. And all of her albums reflect what’s going in her personal life and the growth she achieves along the way. Take her most recent previous CD, Joy Comes Back, as an example. It was a vehicle that celebrated her recovery following an extremely difficult romantic breakup.
Ruthie’s first instrument was piano, not guitar, and she was taught by her great uncle, her grandmother’s brother. “He played piano in the church,” she says. “So he worked with me on playin’ the organ next to him. And then I took formal lessons when I got into fifth- or sixth-grade all the way through high school.”
She turned to guitar after discovering Phoebe Snow — the singer-songwriter-guitarist from New York with a four-octave range, whose first two albums went gold in the ‘70s – and someone who left Ruthie speechless when they finally met.
“The ‘70s were all about musical variety TV shows,” Foster remembers. “I remember seein’ her on The Midnight Special (which ran late-night on Fridays on NBC between 1972 and 1981). I said to myself: ‘Oh, my gosh! This is awesome! I want to do that!’
“Janis Ian – (best known for the monster hit ‘At Seventeen’) – was another influence. Seein’ a woman play a guitar — just by herself…without a band – really stood out. It was kinda like watchin’ Sister Rosetta Tharpe.”
In that era, Ruthie notes, it was an extremely rare event to see a woman performing on her own, adding: “I come from a world where men play guitar – even in the churches. When the groups would come by, you didn’t see very many women playin’ guitar at all where I lived.
“But things have changed. Today, I love goin’ on the blues cruise and hearin’ women just wreck the place on guitar and bass!”
After high school, Ruthie relocated to Waco to attend McClennon Community College, graduating from its commercial music program with a concentration in vocal performance. She also studied audio engineering for a couple of semesters and fronted the Joe Silva Blues Band, which was composed of fellow students, too.
“It was fun – and a big lesson on how to front a band,” she says. “We played smaller towns in the area, but never Austin, opened for the Fabulous Thunderbirds a few times and played quinceaneras (15th birthday celebrations) a couple of times, too,” she laughs. “That was our call to fame right there!
“Okay! We’re great! We’re makin’ it now!”
Foster’s life changed dramatically when she enlisted in the Navy.
“The recruiting officers are usually all lined up with each other – Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines. I looked through the window of the Navy office, and the guy had his feet up on his desk and he’s readin’ a paper. I thought: ‘Okay. That’s pretty relaxed. Let’s try this! I can do that!’
“I can still remember my recruiter, Gail Chandler. It was the one office where everyone seemed relaxed. Officer Chandler introduced me on how to chill – and get paid for it, too! (laughs)”
But Foster didn’t stay away from music for long. After boot camp, she attended the Navy School of Music in Norfolk, Va., before being stationed in Charleston, S.C., where she became part of Navy Band Southeast, an operation that oversees 15 individual musical groups.
Ruthie was assigned to Pride, a show band whose duties include playing pop and funk at recruitment drives and much, much more. But she could have had a higher calling.
“There’s another unit called The Commodores, which plays in Washington, D.C.,” she says. “I tried out for it and was accepted, but turned it down. I’d just gotten married, and just went to see if I could get in. Am I good enough for this?
“When they told me I was, I figured out right in front of the admiral: I don’t really want this (laughs). No disrespect, but I really hurt my commanding officer when I turned it down because there was an automatic pay increase for him, extra two stripes…extra everything.
“For me, though, it was like signin’ up for another four years plus – and I really wanted to do things on my own terms – to sing what I want to sing and play what I want to play.
“And I did! I got busy.”
While still in uniform, she returned to college in Charleston, studied broadcasting and ran sound as a production assistant during TV news broadcasts there, too. After her discharge, Foster moved to New York City, where she tried her hand at being a folk and blues singer, quickly drawing the attention of executives from Atlantic Records who wanted to sign her to a developmental contract.
“Who’s gonna pass that up?” she asks.
“I got in there and got a really good lawyer who counseled me on what happens to artists when they’re handed a contract that’s really not a record deal – it’s a wait-and-see to a what’s-gonna-become-of-this-artist deal. It’s not the best deal, but it’s got the Atlantic stamp around your name.
“I got out and I used that, and it got me into any club I wanted to play and into the front door of any songwriter…any Grammy Award-winning songwriter’s living room…to sit and play and learn how to write songs.
“That’s how I got to meet Guy Davis for the first time. He was playin’ at Terra Blues down on Bleaker Street and my husband at the time introduced us. Guy let me play during his breaks. That’s how I got my break, really, playin’ the Bitter End and all those great clubs.”
In 1997, a year after her mom’s passing, Ruthie finally released her first CD, entitled Full Circle, initiating a relationship with Blue Corn Music that endures today. Joy Comes Back was the tenth release in her career, which includes three Grammy nominations, 2019 induction in the Texas Music Hall of Fame and work with Papa Mali, The Blind Boys of Alabama, William Bell, the Funky Meters horns, Derek Trucks and a host of others.
The honors have come fast and furious, including selection as Living Blues magazine’s Critics’ Poll blues artist of the year honors after the release of The Truth According to Ruthie Foster in 2010 and the prestigious Berresford Prize – an unrestricted $25,000 award presented by the United States Artists organization, acknowledging the significant contributions she’s made toward the advancement, well-being and care of other artists.
Through it all, she’s remained humble and grateful – so much so that, when she captured her first BMA award, she wondered if she really deserved it because of all the diverse influences that color her music.
That feeling ended quickly, however, when she crossed paths with Koko Taylor for the first time at the ceremony. After being introduced by Koko’s daughter, Cookie, Taylor quickly complimented her and asked: “When are you gonna write something for me?”
Instantly, Ruthie realized that not only was she worthy, but that she’d truly become a keeper of the flame when it comes to delivering traditional blues for future generations.
Foster takes a break from her stellar touring band and takes step back into her Navy past for her new CD, Live at the Paramount, which is due out on May 15. It’s a tour de force production arranged by John Beasley, who’s worked with Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk and Sergio Mendes. The orchestra includes a ten-piece horn section as well as a trio of backup singers.
“For folks who don’t know my history,” she says with a chuckle, “that’s what I did with the Navy. One of the things I did was to front a 15-piece big band, and I also was in a funk band as well.
“I so-o-o loved it!
“I was in there, puttin’ these reels (of tape) on the machine and just listenin’ to all of this music that you just don’t hear any more – live recordings that no one’s heard. I just fell in love with the music and the way big band singers sing.
“The biggest lesson I learned,” Ruthie says, “was that you’ll never out-sing horns because they’re brass and they’re blowin’ right at you the entire time. The secret is to find those in-betweens and just keep it swingin’, and Frank Sinatra and Ella were just brilliant in that. So I studied them for six months, and never got the chance to do it (sing with a big band) again.
“This CD gave me the opportunity to do songs – most of them — that I had recorded before and get a top arranger in Mr. John Beasley out of L.A.
“I got a chance to do his arrangements with a band over in Europe a couple of times and decided to just go ahead and record it here. I used Austin players for this, a couple of whom are professors at the University of Texas, and it turned out really well.”
Squeezed in among such Foster favorites as “Death Came a-Knockin’,” “Runaway Soul,” “The Ghetto,” “Stone Love,” “It Might Not Be Right” and her smoldering version of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire,” among others, are covers of the Quincy Jones/Tony Bennett take on Sinatra’s “Fly Me to The Moon” and Ella’s version of Bobby Darin’s standard, “Mack the Knife.”
Fear not, however. Despite the big band arrangements and pop classics, all of the tunes in the set come complete with the true bluesy feel that Ruthie always instills in her work. There’s a huge connection to gospel through it all, too, she says, because the same elements that make gospel singers so great makes crooners shine, too.
“It’s the same energy,” she says. “It’s about movin’ the room.”
That show was so much fun that Ruthie’s thinking about doing something similar with her regular band of merrymakers somewhere down the road. Right now, however, she’s more concerned about their well-being and that of their families now that they’re no longer working and on the road.
Meanwhile, she’s busy at home, talking with family, singing karaoke with her daughter — who’s about to turn age nine and introduces her on the new disc — and thinking about the multitude of friends and fans she’s made circling the globe.
“I think I’m in trouble,” Ruthie chuckles. “I’ve got a little singer on my hands!”
On a more serious note, she says: “These are tough times for all of us. Stay strong. Stay positive – and put some music on. Dance. Move. Hopefully, you’ll be able to find some solace in the music that I make, too!”
Find out more about Ruthie, her tunes and where she’ll be appearing traveling when the world returns to normal by visiting her website: www.ruthiefoster.com
Interview: Ruthie Foster
by Iain Patience / photo’s: Janet Patience
Ruthie Foster is way more than just another blueslady. She’s a true gospel diva with an astonishingly powerful voice that sounds like it must have literally raised more than a few rooves and rafters over the years. Her stage-presence is always dynamic; clutching her trusty Gibson guitar, she launches herself into each number with immediacy and clear intent. Audiences look on in awe as she storms from one song to the next, pulling tracks from her beeded, braided head and an impressive award-winning back catalogue of sultry, soulful music with confident ease and purpose.
And surprisingly, perhaps, guitar is not her
first instrument. Ruthie’s a piano-player but, as she quips: ‘The
guitar’s a lot more portable.’ And unlike most musicians of the blues
world and stage, she can read music, having graduated in that subject
before signing up with Uncle Sam and joining the Navy to see the world
as an engineer. It was while with the navy she turned her attention to
fretwork developing a hard-hitting percussive style that has certainly
served her well over the years since her demob.
‘My voice is my first instrument, though,’ she says. A positively barn-storming quality developed and honed as a kid growing up in rural Central Texas where her grandmother ensured she attended the local Baptist church and weekly song sessions. The same grandmother who introduced Foster to piano and a love of music in a more general way as she grew-up.
Foster
is quick to thank both her mother and grandmother for introducing her
to music and performance, initially as a purely family thing, followed
by church outings and a college course where she majored, as might be
expected given her tremendous voice, in vocal-work, and that eventually
led her to the world stage.
‘I started out singing in our local
Baptist church. It was really a sort of family situation. It was
important to my mother and grandmother. Not singing at church was never
an option,’ she says with a rueful but clearly grateful smile.
As for inspiration, she simply plucks themes from everyday life and love. Songs that mirror her own interests and observations as she hits the road on tour, spending substantial chunks of time away from home, missing her young daughter.
It’s difficult to avoid comparisons with Mavis Staples. Both are award-winning singers with huge voices and a grasp of gospel music few, if any, can equal. Foster is quick to pay her respect to the veteran singer, citing the near-legendary Staples as an obvious gospel-influence and a true survivor. “I love Mavis Staples. She still has such an amazing voice and energy. Despite her age, she gives it her all every time.’
In the studio she tries to capture
the spirit of live performance as much as possible, eschewing over- much
technology and overdubs. ‘I’ve always preferred acoustic sound and
instruments wherever possible,’ she confirms. ‘I have to plug my guitar
in, of course, with a pick-up, but that’s because I need to be heard
when I play in front of a crowd, on a stage where that whole sound
projection thing is real important.’
It’s a formula that clearly works. Foster has picked-up awards galore. Best Female Vocalist; Best Contemporary Blues Female Vocalist; Living Blues Writers’ Poll Winner; Koko Taylor Award for Best Traditional Blues Female Vocalist – 2012, 2013, and again this year, 2015. In addition, Grammy nominations and plaudits rain down on her from all quarters. Foster seems to take it all in her stride without appearing complacent or smug in any way: ‘Yea, I’ve sure been real lucky with the awards,’ she smiles. ‘It’s all been great.’
With
almost a dozen albums now behind her – mostly since she turned
professional in ‘…..around 1995-96’ – she nods, as she thinks back over
the years – she still loves doing what she does, despite the travelling
and the hassle that invariably goes with it.
‘I love singing, it’s
what I do best. And I have freedom to change my set whenever I want. I
might start-off a set with one number then just turn it around with
another, with something different, like ‘Ring Of Fire‘, for example. It all depends on the gig and the audience. Picking up the mood out front and going for it.’
With her latest release, ‘Promise Of A Brand New Day’, already
gathering critical acclaim, Foster says she enjoys and looks forward to
gigging in Europe where she has played Italy, France and Spain in the
recent past. ‘Audiences are real cool over here. They know the music.
They love it. They always make me feel welcome.’
Website Ruthie Foster
Meet Ruthie Foster
Texas-born blues singer Ruthie Foster will be performing in New Zealand in April as part of the Grass Roots Festival. Although she may not be as well-known as Ben Harper, B.B. King or Elvis Costello, who are also on the festival bill, Ruthie has a strong musical grounding in blues, gospel, soul and folk. Her latest album is entitled The Truth According to Ruthie Foster. The 13th Floor had a chat with Ruthie to find out more about this relatively unknown talent.
Click here to listen to the full interview:
Audio PlayerClick here to listen to Stoned Love from Ruthie Foster’s latest album, The Truth According To Ruthie Foster:
Audio PlayerRuthie Foster and her band will perform on Sunday, April 24th at the Grass Roots Festival in Auckland
Click here to listen to the full interview:
Audio PlayerClick here to listen to Stoned Love from Ruthie Foster’s latest album, The Truth According To Ruthie Foster:
Audio PlayerRuthie Foster and her band will perform on Sunday, April 24th at the Grass Roots Festival in Auckland
https://blackopry.com/2021/04/27/ruthie-foster/
Ruthie Foster
Ruthie Foster was born into a family of gospel singers and used that foundation to pave her own way with a musical sound that spans time and many genres.
Foster has an 11 album discography that dates back to 1997. Her consistent body of work has garnered fans and praise from all over the world. Most recently, “Live At The Paramount” , was released in 2020.
Foster is a three time Grammy Award nominee, and a Blues Music Awards winner many times over. She’s also been a nominee and winner at the Living Blues Critics’ Polls. In 2019, Foster was inducted into the Texas Music Hall of Fame.
https://womenofblues.com/2020/03/04/ruthie-foster/
Ruthie Foster
Ruthie Foster is another blues legend from Austin. In Austin’s ‘Notes in Time’, she fondly discusses her ties to Austin. Once she moved there she noticed the warmth, friendliness, and kindness of the music community that thrives there. Friends invite friends to play music together and provide encouragement and support for each other. Charity fundraising concerts are common in Austin and often the musicians physically help out when tragedy from natural disasters or hardships strike. It’s no wonder that so many are drawn there.
Ruthie Foster grew up in Gauze, a small town in Texas. She was raised by a single mom, who was a strict disciplinarian. Ruthie’s knowledge of music grew from her church choir days. Her first solo performance was at 14 in the church choir. She absorbed and grew to appreciate any and all kinds of music, gospel, folk, rock, jazz, and blues. This mixture of influences can be heard in the music she plays and writes. One unexpected song that I found by Ruthie Foster is on a video, where she plays her very own version of Black Sabbath’s “War Hogs”. With her bluesy voice accompanied by dobro, she transforms this song into something really special.
After highschool, Ruthie Foster moved to Waco to attend community college, where she studied audio engineering. After forming a blues band and playing numerous bars in Texas, she felt she needed to see the world and broaden her experiences and joined the Navy. Her strict upbringing prepared her for whatever the Navy dished out. While in the Navy her love of music persisted and she even began singing with a Navy band.
Ruthie Foster is well established in the blues world. She has a long list of awards, and accomplishments, which include three Grammy Blues Music Awards and three for best female vocalist. She has traveled and performed all over the world including Cuba. Ruthie Foster has shared the stage with other blues legends such as her good friend Carolyn Wonderland and Bonnie Raitt and collaborated on her latest album, ‘Joy Comes Back’, with the phenomenal Susan Tedeschi Trucks and her husband Derrick. One of my favorite Ruthie Foster songs is an original she wrote and performed at the Kitchener Blues Festival in a video from 2014, “Up Above My Head (I Hear Music in the Air)” . Listen as she effortlessly but skillfully blends gospel, blues, jazz and soul.
Ruthie Foster has also been awarded by the Living Blues Awards, Best Live Performer. Like her friend, Carolyn Wonderland, her charitable work cannot go without mention. After the coastal flood devastated such a vast stretch of the Texas Coastal community, Ruthie Foster participated in a benefit concert with Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Paul Simon, and James Taylor.
Another original by Ruthie Foster is called “Runaway Soul”, from her album ‘Runaway Soul’. Her she performs at the Songwriters Festival in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida 2018.
Ruthie Foster has recorded numerous albums. Her most recent ‘Joy Comes Back’, was recorded in 2017, ‘The Truth According to Ruthie Foster’, and ‘The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster’, and ‘Heal Yourself’, are among others. She has had a long-standing relationship with and records under the Blue Corn Music label.
Ruthie Foster is truly one of a kind, and holds a well founded place among the legendary female blues artists.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Deborah Miller is an avid blues enthusiast and enjoy writing about what she loves. Her mission is to feature female blues artists and help bring their work to the forefront, in what is typically a male-dominated genre. She hopes that my readers learn along with me as research for each artist. Miller wants her readers to know and experience the satisfaction one gets when discovering new music and hope that some are inspired to pick up an instrument. She welcomes readers to share their talents so that they too can be featured. She also hopes to help further promote the careers of the talented female blues performers that she write about by sharing interesting details about their lives, careers, and the music they create.
