Phenomenal Ruthie Foster

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Phenomenal Ruthie Foster
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  1. Audio CD: Release Date 2007-02-06
  2. Publisher: Blue Corn Music
  3. Artist: Ruthie Foster
  4. Sales Rank in Music: #7100

Product Review

Ruthie Foster has made the album of her career with 'The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster'. Austin legend Papa Mali handles the production and guitar duties joining Ruthie and some of Austin's top musicians in a very strong set of originals and covers of songs by Son House, Sister Rosetta Thorpe and Lucinda Williams. This deeply grooving album shows a side of Ruthie that has ever really been captured in the studio before as she displays her talents on the Fender/Rhodes and unleashes her soulful vocals on the funkiest songs she has ever recorded.

Amazon.com

Ruthie Foster's the newest voice in old-school soul. Her fifth album is a remarkable flashback to the genre's '60s and '70s heyday, framing her warm butter-and-cayenne-pepper singing with organ, electric piano, shimmering guitar textures, and strong backbeats. That sound, along with her strength as a song interpreter--rippling with beauty on Lucinda Williams's "Fruits of My Labor," stunningly emotional on Son House's cautionary Delta spiritual "People Grinnin' in Your Face"--and her fine-tuned social politics, makes Aretha Franklin, Roberta Flack, and Nina Simone reasonable artistic references. For the 42-year-old Texan, this historic approach is new. Until now she's been an obscure acoustic-guitar-wielding singer-songwriter. And, indeed, the evocative lyricism of her own tunes "Harder Than the Fall," "Heal Yourself," and "Beaver Creek Blues" is clearly the work of an experienced craftsperson. But the performances on this elegant album, made under the tutelage of imaginative and empathetic Austin-based producer Malcolm Welbourne, live up to its boastful title, and seem destined to bring Foster the larger audience she deserves. --Ted Drozdowski
Title Tracks for Phenomenal Ruthie Foster

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (32 customer reviews)

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A phenomenal CD from a phenomenal woman, March 23, 2007
K. Sullivan "No accounting for taste..." (Virginia - United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Phenomenal Ruthie Foster (Audio CD)
I was not familiar with Ruthie Foster prior to happening upon this CD. The title, "The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster", amused me somewhat. What was she thinking referring to herself as "phenomenal"? Wasn't she inviting some major cynicism? Curious, I finally listened to the clips available online. I approached it with the attitude, "Show me just how phenomenal you are." Well, she did! I was quickly and fully captivated. She really is phenomenal. (For the record, you will notice that track 9 is entitled "Phenomenal Woman", so the title of the CD does have contextual relevance.)

Ruthie is a wonderful soul/blues artist. I understand that this recording represents a bit of a departure for her stylistically. This evolution is a happy circumstance because it fits her voice beautifully. It is silky smooth and features equally well in country blues, vintage soul, and everywhere in between. The following are few standout tracks for me.

"Fruits of My Labor" is the...Read more


10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Best Kept Secret, April 1, 2007
Kevin C. Key (Berwyn, Illinois USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Phenomenal Ruthie Foster (Audio CD)
Ruthie Foster is the best kept secret in America. I learned about her music from a friend who lives in Canada. One listen was all it took to realize that this was a performer I needed to follow. I started with "Runaway Soul" which still moves me after almost daily listening. Her songs inform life. This newest CD release--Phenomenal Ruthie Foster--has a bit of a self-congratulatory and cheesy title, but the songs are not to be missed. Celebrate her beautiful voice on the song "I Don't Know What to Do With My Heart," or moan with the blues of "Mama Said." Foster is firmly in touch with every genre of North American music. She turns competently between traditional spirituals and more contemporary pop/folk tunes. I could go on and on, but will stop just to say that you owe it to your soul to listen to this CD...and ALL of Ruthie's recordings.


15 of 17 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars phenomenal, February 9, 2007
David Fiedler "dave" (everywhere, hopefully) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Phenomenal Ruthie Foster (Audio CD)
I just caught the R. Foster show in Chicago at Fitzgerald's on 2/8/7 and was blown away. Incredibly, there were maybe 50 people there (it was 5 degrees out and the town is still getting over the Super Bowl). If it's possible, Ruthie delivers this material live at maybe a factor of 5 over the record which I can't seem to stop listening to. American Idol? They are the very minor leagues. Ruthie can hang with anyone. Buy the record, see her live.

phenomenal is an understatement.

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