Comfort zones are sweet spots; that’s why they’re so easy to stay in. But Ruthie Foster refuses to get too cozy; she’d rather plot escapes from hers than dwell there. Breaking out wasn’t enough for her latest album, however. This time, she wanted to stepout — and on the night of January 26, 2019, she did, right onto the 105-year-old stage of Austin’s Paramount Theater, where she fronted a guitarist, keyboardist, bassist and drummer, plus 10 horn players, three backing vocalists and one conductor. And one adorable daughter handling the introduction. The recorded result is Live at the Paramount, featuring Ruthie Foster and the Ruthie Foster Big Band. Street date is May 15, 2020.
Yes, that does say big band. For nearly 25 years, Foster has moved us with her powerful blues, soul and gospel vocals and eloquent songwriting, which have earned her accolades — three consecutive Grammy nominations and nine Blues Music Awards, plus fans worldwide. But Foster, it turns out, has harbored a hankering to further explore this long dormant, little-known, facet of her talent. So she decided her ninth album would swing back to the days (and nights) when Lady Ella sang Ellington and Sinatra blasted off with Count Basie and Quincy Jones.
Twitter Handle: _RuthieFoster_
