By Blurt Staff
01/26/2009
Fresh off a show-stopping performance at last month's Warren Haynes Christmas Jam, songstress Ruthie Foster is about hit the road hitting the road in advance of her new CD THE TRUTH ACCORDING TO RUTHIE FOSTER (out February 3 on Blue Corn Music). She' be on the road with guitar wizards Jorma Kaukonen and Robben Ford as well as headlining gigs and festival dates in Japan, Australia, and closer to home, RUTHIE's non-stop globe trotting will take her through the first half of 2009 - with barely a moment's rest until the end of June.
Writes Washington Post critic Josh Freedom du Lac's list of Foster's turn at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in May, "The highlight of the weekend came when I wandered into the blues tent just in time to catch Ruthie Foster leading her all-female band through a cleansing, deeply soulful cover of the Lucinda Williams song, ‘Fruits of my Labor.' It was a revelation.
"I was blown away by Foster's vocals, which were the perfect combination of emotion, power and control, with some stunning flourishes, such as her descending vocal runs. On a subsequent song, Foster sustained a vocal note for what seemed, in real time, like three minutes; it was a crowd-stirring, tent-top-lifting, jaw-dropping, lung-emptying, hair-raising, wow-she's-still-holding-it?!!? moment. Foster blended the ache and weariness of a blues singer with the fiery grit and optimism of a gospel vocalist. If you need a vis-a-vis, I'll offer early-era Aretha as a data point. Yes, she was that good. If you'd heard Foster drilling down to the emotional core of the blues stomp, ‘Death Came A Knockin' (Travelin' Shoes),' you'd understand. Awesome stuff."
In a preview of the upcoming Foster disc, Hal Horowitz wrote in Blues Revue, "The truth, according to this remarkable album, is that Ruthie Foster is one of America's finest soul-blues artists...but it wasn't until 2007's The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster that the world took notice. This follow-up is even better...Producer Chris Goldsmith, who helms the famed Ardent Studios board in Memphis, brought in the legendary Jim Dickinson to play keyboards along with guitarist Robben Ford and the Memphis Horns. The result is a full-on blast of soul and blues that mixes some of Foster's finest self-penned material with tunes made famous by O.V. Wright (a stunning ‘A Nickel and a Nail') and Ann Peebles (‘You Keep Me Hangin' On') along with more obscure gems by Patty Griffin and Eric Bibb. The combination of a talented band, powerful songs, and Foster's roaring, gospel-inspired vocals leaves Truth with no weak spots among it's dozen tracks...Throughout the album, the sound is crisp, the playing and production top-notch. If this one doesn't elevate Foster to the next level of popularity, it's impossible to imagine what will."
**1/30/09 Pittsfield, MA The Colonial Theatre
**1/31/09 New London, CT The Garde Theatre
**2/2/09 New York, NY B.B. King Blues Club & Grill
2/3/09 Austin, TX Antone's
**2/4/09 Morristown, NJ Community Theater at the Mayo Center
**2/5/09 Englewood, NJ Bergen Performing Arts Center
**2/6/09 Harrisburg, PA Sunoco Performing Theatre
**2/7/09 Stamford, CT Palace Theatre
**2/8/09 Poughkeepsie, NY Bardavon 1869 Opera House
**2/9/09 Pomona, NJ Stockton Performing Arts Center
**2/10/09 Virginia Beach, VA, The Sandler Cent for the Perf Arts
**2/12/09 Wilmington, DE Grand Opera House
**2/13/09 Charlottesville, VA Paramount Theater Auditorium
**2/14/09 Greensboro, NC Carolina Theatre of Greensboro
**2/15/09 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse
**2/17/09 Durham, NC Carolina Theatre
**2/18/09 Falls Church, VA State Theatre
**2/19/09 Newark, OH Midland Theatre
**2/20/09 Clinton Township, MI Macomb Center
**2/21/09 Glen Ellyn, IL College of DuPage Arts Center
**2/22/09 Grayslake, IL James Lumber Cent Perf Arts
**2/24/09 Beaver Creek, CO Vilar Center for the Arts
**2/25/09 Aspen, CO Wheeler Opera House
**2/26/09 Monterey, CA Golden State Theatre
**2/27/09 San Rafael, CA Marin Veterans' Memorial Auditorium
**2/28/09 Redding, CA Cascade Theatre
**3/1/09 Portland, OR Aladdin Theater
**3/3/09 Arcata, CA Van Duzer Theatre (Humboldt St. U.)
**3/4/09 Davis, CA Jackson Hall / Mondavi Cent for the Arts
**3/6/09 Olympia, WA The Washington Center
**3/7/09 Bellingham, WA Mount Baker Theatre
**3/8/09 Seattle, WA The Triple Door
3/10/09 Los Angeles, CA Hotel Café
*3/19/09 Austin, TX SXSW Festival
*3/21/09 Tampa, FL Tampa Bay Blues Festival
3/26/09 Yokohama, Japan Thumbs Up
3/27/09 Tokyo, Japan Cay
3/28/09 Kyoto, Japan TakuTaku
3/30/09 Nagoya, Japan Tokuzo
4/2/09 Brisbane, Australia Judith Wright Centre
4/3/09 Eumundi, Australia Joe's Waterhole
4/4/09 Canberra, Australia, The Folkus Room
4/7/09 Kincumber, Australia Lizottes
4/8/09 Sydney, Australia The Basement
4/10/09 Byron Bay, Australia Bluesfest
4/11/09 Byron Bay, Australia Bluesfest
4/14/09 Melbourne, Australia The Corner Hotel
4/16/09 Hepburn Springs, Australia The Palais
4/17/09 Meeniyan, Australia Meeniyan Town Hall
4/18/09 Fremantle, Australia West Coast Blues & Roots
4/22/09 Adelaide, Australia The Governor Hindmarsh
4/23/09 Sydney, Australia The Factory Theatre
4/24/09 Bulli, Australia Heritage Hotel
*5/9/09 Shreveport, LA 1st Annual Leadbelly Blues Fest
*5/17/09 Dana Point, CA Doheny Blues Festival
5/22/09 Yosemite, CA Strawberry Music Festival
*5/24/09 Silver City, NM Silver City Blues Festival
*5/28/09 Herndon, VA Herndon Festival
***6/14/09 Vancouver, BC, Can Vancouver for Perf Arts
***6/15/09 Victoria, BC, Canada Royal Theatre
***6/17/09 Winnipeg, MB, Canada Pantages Playhouse
***6/18/09 Calgary, AB, Canada Southern Alberta Jubilee Aud
***6/19/09 Edmonton, AB, Canada Northern Alberta Jubilee Aud
*6/26/09 Laytonville, CA Kate Wolf Memorial Music Festival
* Denotes multi-act festival
** Denotes tour date with Jorma Kaukonen and Robben Ford***Denotes tour date with The Blind Boys of Alabama
http://www.blurt-online.com/news/view/1745/
http://www.ruthiefoster.com/ For More Information
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