Phenomenal Ruthie Foster
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