LIVE:   Ronnie Scott’s, Soho London

DATE:   Friday 4^th – Saturday 5^th March

From houses of worship to houses of blues, Ruthie Foster has always been a rafter-rattler. And with a soul-filled voice honed in Texas churches, she can move audiences to tears or ecstasy — sometimes in a single song. She makes her Ronnie Scott’s debut on 4^th March

Born in a small Texan town Ruthie first learned to sing during services at her community church. With a chapel-bred bravado trained on the works of powerful women such as Mavis Staples and Aretha Franklin, her sound is an inspired blend of blues, folk and gospel. She has a passionate voice that can bring down the house, coupled with a songwriting ability that cuts straight to the truth of life’s big issues.

As a young woman, Foster left the church community and her hometown to define her own path. She served in the Navy where she discovered her love for performing while singing at recruitment drives. Following her service she moved to New York City to pursue a career as a singer/songwriter and soon became a staple in the folk scene. She was swiftly offered a deal by Atlantic Records, yet turned her back on the deal preferring to explore roots music and the music that shaped her rather than become the pop artist the major had envisioned.  Following a move back to Texas, Ruthie released her 1997 debut recording. Since then, she has released seven studio recordings with last three all receiving Grammy Award nominations in the category of Best Blues Album.

For these four shows, Ruthie performs music from her latest recording, ‘Promise of a Brand New Day’, produced by lauded singer and bassist Meshell Ndegeocello. The collection of “songs with messages” delivers one powerful track after another. All were written (or co- written) by Foster and includes a civil rights protest song in the folk-gospel tradition. Yet Foster is quick to point out her new album is not a gospel album, “If anything, I stayed with that old-school soul feel”.

“Ruthie’s voice is such a singular, powerful instrument, and she has such mastery of it,” Ndegeocello notes. “She can turn it on, belt it out and bring you to your knees, all in an instant. ”

Doors                    6.00pm and 10.30pm (two houses)

Tickets                  £25.00 – £50.00