REVIEWS

Ruthie Foster is Phenomenal

photo courtesy of John Carrico

I was introduced to the unique sound of singer/songwriter, Ruthie Foster, via Sunday morning breakfast and a radio show called Studio 360 on American National Public Radio.

I listened to host, Kurt Anderson's interview with Ruthie. Then he introduced a song from her new CD, The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster, a newly arranged take on Sister Rosetta Tharp's Up Above My Head. I was immediately hooked.

The Texas singer describes her new CD as having created some wonderful surprises. She says, "Realizing my own personal voice and then recognizing the amount of personal growth that came out in my music was a nice surprise." You can check out a few of her songs at http://myspace.com/ruthiefosterband.

In Ruthie's voice, one can experience the wisdom and voices of her African-American ancestors. Ruthie dedicated the new CD to Ruthie Deborah Johnson (Big Mama) who was her maternal grandmother.

When this singer toured Canada in 2006, she sold 1,000 albums at a music festival. This must be a record of some kind. Ruthie says, "The Canadian audiences will always have a special place in my heart."

"It was just a surprise for me to walk away from that weekend knowing that my music touched that many people."

The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster is her latest CD. Previous recordings include Full Circle and Runaway Soul. Her gift to her audience is strong and independent music imbued with some uniquely American sounds. It is powerful and creative, yet vulnerable with a jumpy foot tapping vibe.

Sandra Pianin is a freelance writer and reviewer who lives in New York City. She is a frequent contributor to ladies-room.net and a new book reviewer for newsblaze.com.