Ruthie Foster (from the album Mileage

Ruthie Foster (from the album Mileage

Ruthie Foster (from the album Mileage available on Sun Records) (By Lee Zimmerman)
 
Ruthie Foster’s early albums seemed to share a particular promise that was boldly expressed in such titles as Crossover, Runaway Soul, Stages, Heal Yourself, and most particularly, The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster and The Truth According to Ruthie Foster. As an artist that’s always made it a point to push her parameters, Foster’s has never been averse to expressing both her verve and vulnerability, courtesy of one of the most dynamic voices in modern music.
 
That’s especially true with Mileage, her aptly dubbed new album — and her tenth in total. It finds Ruthie Foster sharing a travelogue of sorts, one that allows Foster to dig deep into the emotions and experiences that have framed her life, both personally and professionally. It took root through a series of heartfelt conversations with producer Tyler Bryant and Rebecca Lovell, Bryant’s wife and one-half of the duo Larkin Poe, that, in turn, allowed the music to emerge organically and in ways that were both illuminating and emphatic. It also makes for a set of songs that possess a true creative synergy and symmetry, all well worthy of an artist whose multiple Grammy nominations and multiple Blues Awards testify to her talent and tenacity. The fact that it finds her recording for the legendary Sun Records also underscores the significance of this particular effort given its mix of memories, emotions, and indeed, a shared humanity.
 
The most immediate result of this new association comes in the form of a subdued take on the Arthur ‘Big Boy’ Crudup classic “That’s All Right”, a song that’s indelibly inscribed in the American songbook courtesy of innumerable covers, including the one that helped propel Elvis Presley to initial stardom. Yet due to the profound and prophetic delivery of the other offerings in the set, all of which were borne from those connecting conversations with Bryant and Lovell, it seems more or less incidental. Ruthie Foster’s dynamic delivery elevates the intent, especially on such mighty songs as “Mileage”, the soul-stirring “Rainbow”, the earnest and expressive “Good for My Soul”, the rocking and robust “Slow Down”, the immensely affecting “Six Mile Water”, the gospel flourish of “Done”, and the powerful yet poignant “Heartshine”. Likewise on offerings such as “Take It Easy” and “See You When I See You Again”, she offers life lessons well worth heeding. Her delivery is a wonder to behold, a powerful presence that’s nothing less that truly awe-inspiring from beginning to end.
 
‘I’ve been lost, I’ve been found and I’m proud of my mileage’ she steadfastly proclaims on the aforementioned title track. That’s hardly a surprise. Even if judged by this effort alone, she has more than enough reason to feel supremely satisfied. (by Lee Zimmerman)
 
Listen and buy the music of Ruthie Foster from AMAZON
 
For more info, check out the Ruthie Foster website