Ruthie Foster Preps For Huge Tour

Headlining as well as dates with Blind Boys, Kaukonen, Ford.

By Blurt Staff

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.

Highlights along the way include stops at a hometown CD-release show at Antone's in Austin, TX on February 3; a headlining gig at L.A.'s intimate Hotel Café on March 10; festival gigs with the likes of Ben Harper and Patti Griffin; a stop at the Doheny Blues Festival and Strawberry Festival in May; and a series of co-headlining Canadian shows with The Blind Boys of Alabama in 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."

Ruthie Foster Tour Dates:

**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 Center for the Performing 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 Center for the Performing 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 State University)

**3/4/09          Davis, CA                               Jackson Hall / Mondavi Center 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                                   First Annual Leadbelly Blues Festival

*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, Canada                     The Centre in Vancouver for Performing 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 Auditorium

***6/19/09      Edmonton, AB, Canada                     Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium

*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