Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010

Fifth 'Blues Bash' is sure to pluck at the soul

The Blues Bash returns to The Clayton Center this Friday with a double headline of blues and soul.

Eric Bibb and Ruthie Foster, two fast-rising blues and soul artists, will play acoustic sets that combine the venerable old blues with the uplifting, personal elements of soul.

"They're part of a new and up-and-coming blues," said Heidi Stump, the center's director. "They're newer on the scene, but they've got extraordinary talent."

Bibb will play an acoustic set with a harmonica player, while Foster will perform with an acoustic guitar and a quartet. Both acts share top billing, so neither is considered the "opener."

Bibb described his music as hopeful, and he said his songs wait, unwritten, for him to "pluck" them.

"You can be influenced by a lot of things, but in the end you have to make it your own," he said in his smooth baritone while traveling through Michigan in a Dodge SUV last week. "I certainly had it a lot easier than many of my heroes-- that positive hopefulness sort of comes into the music."

Foster said her music brought together blues, gospel and soul to make listeners feel good. On the road, she finds that her songs have time to breathe and change.

Bibb, 58, comes from a family of music. His father still sings at 88, and Bibb first connected to the blues through a Leadbelly song. The New York-born singer builds on tradition to find his own voice, he said.

"I would like to think of myself as a contemporary link in the chain," he explained. "I'm not a curator, I don't just re-create songs that were made famous by people 70 years ago."

Foster said some of her songs follow the old blues patterns, but her mixed influences, including reggae, keep things fresh. She got her start in choirs at age 12 and has been a full time musician since 1996.

"It's about saying who you are, speaking about what you know and your own experience through your music," said the 46-year-old native of Gause, Texas. "That's what people grab on to when they're listening to you."

Blues Bash, now in its fifth year, seems to hit the right note with audiences. Stump expects the concert to sell out once again.

"We draw from all over for the Blues Bash, and we've built a following ," she said.

And the crowd, Foster said, is what motivates her during years of heavy touring.

"Every audience is different," she said. "That's the element that keeps everything moving and changing."

And for Blues Bash V, whose theme is "Soul Mates," Bibb and Foster are happy to play together.

"We always have a good time sharing a stage," Bibb said. "When you get artists who are compatible, it's a nice thing. You get to see different aspects of the tradition."