Ruthie Foster Feels Good Playing The Blues

By John Roos

Naming one of your albums “The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster” is quite a provocative move, no?

Yet Ruthie Foster, an Austin-based blues singer-songwriter-guitarist, has lived up to the audacious billing of that breakthrough 2007 release by making some of the most stirring mix of blues, gospel, folk, soul and roots-rock to grace our planet, my friends.

What has come to define Foster since self-releasing her 1997 debut titled “Full Circle” is an Aretha Franklin-like voice that is equal parts thunder and whisper. She can rattle your bones with an explosive anthem of female empowerment like Grace Pettis’ “Working Woman,” or gently pull you in with Shawnee Kilgore’s sublime homage to President Lincoln titled “Abraham.” Both these songs are featured on her latest release, last year’s outstanding “Joy Comes Back” (Blue Corn Music).

At the same time, Foster – who performs solo Saturday night at McCabe’s in Santa Monica—can be unpredictable and covers one song that may raise a few eyebrows. How she transforms the hard rock of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” into a bottleneck guitar- and harmonica-powered folk-blues anthem is a beautiful thing to behold. Check it out here: http://www.ruthiefoster.com/video/.

Foster’s roots run deep in the gospel world. She grew up in a family of gospel singers in Gause, Texas, a small town 90 minutes northeast of Austin where, as Foster has shared, there were more churches than schools. Her musical baptism began as a girl playing piano recitals at several local churches. Foster was inspired by gospel greats including Mavis Staples, Mahalia Jackson, Sister Rosetta Tharpe and the Reverend Dr. James Edward Cleveland. Curious to hear more secular music, she soon began to absorb the traditional blues styles she heard while listening to her stepfather’s Howlin’ Wolf and Lightnin’ Hopkins records.

Hard times struck early for Foster. At age 12, Foster’s stepfather died and her mother fell seriously ill with Lupus, leaving Foster to basically raise her younger brother and sister. By high school, she was bringing her guitar to school and writing songs whenever she could to lift her sagging spirits. A supportive music teacher helped her prepare for the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) as Foster longed for something, somewhere bigger than her dusty, small town life.

Foster in the early-1980’s began a three-year music program at McLennan Community College in Waco, and although it was less than 100 miles from her hometown, she succeeded in certifying her love for music and absorbed styles beyond her beloved gospel and blues, including jazz, folk, rock and soul as she moved on to play the local blues bar-band circuit.

Still restless after college, Foster decided to join the Navy and while stationed in Norfolk, VA, she became a member of the Navy Pride Band, whose musical repertoire further expanded her reach by specializing in funk and Top 40 hits. Following her tour-of-duty, she settled in Charleston, SC with her then-husband and took a job booking live acts at a new folk music venue. Still playing her own music on the side, Foster signed a deal with Big Beat Records (an indie label which was later acquired by Atlantic Records) that ended unsatisfyingly and it wasn’t until years later—when Foster moved to Austin in 1997--that she self-recorded her debut album, “Full Circle,” which earned her a deal with Blue Corn Music for her follow-up album, 1999’s “Crossover.”

A solid career devoted to furthering the legacy of traditional roots music with an emphasis of gospel-tinged soul and blues was launched. What lies at the heart of Foster’s talent is her authenticity, with personalized story-songs about human struggles, where one’s faith and optimism can ultimately lead to redemption and possible salvation.

Foster has channeled some of her own darkest times into relatable songs both vulnerable and liberating. Foster’s 8-year marriage to a woman ended last year in divorce and now both co-parent their 6-year-old daughter, Maya. Equally heartbreaking, Foster’s long-time drummer Samantha Banks died on April 25 following a stroke.

Foster turned to what she knows best, her music, as a form of therapy. She poured her heartache into creating a beautiful song about emotionally turning the page titled “Open Sky.” Set to a bouncy, Caribbean-style rhythm, Foster sings these gently inspirational words:

“Trying not to rush ahead, I get left behind/Trying to catch my breath/I don’t want to close my eyes/Caught up in the open flame and it’s calling me by name/Tell me that, this time, don’t ask why/Trust in open sky.”

Foster has been blessed with a loyal fan base and slew of industry awards, including the 2018 Koko Taylor Award as Best Traditional Blues Female, and a 2014 Grammy Award nomination in the Best Blues Album category for “Promise of a Brand New Day.” Peer recognition is a satisfying indicator of respect for one’s craft but Foster also feeds off the energy that her fans supply in droves during her concerts, or as she calls the live experience, Hallelujah Time.

I experienced that spirited, communal vibe when Foster performed a rapturous set opening for the Blind Boys of Alabama last December at the Musco Performing Arts Center in Orange. More than anything else, Foster’s radiant smile and uplifting, between-song banter stayed with me long after the show had faded into the night. Her natural ability to transform the blues into a joyous evening of celebration is, well, phenomenal.

*Ruthie Foster performs Saturday at McCabe’s Guitar Shop, 3101 Pico Blvd, Santa Monica. (310) 828-4497. 8 p.m. $20. www.mccabes.com.

Photos taken by Riccardo Piccirillo