Supple Folk Music Series hosts Ruthie Foster

SAN MARCOS—Ruthie Foster brings her unique brand of soulful, bluesy music to Texas State University-San Marcos Sunday, Nov. 13, for a 7:30 p.m. performance in the Music Building Recital Hall.

The show is part of the Jerry and Cathy Supple Folk Music Series, co-sponsored by Century Tel, with the proceeds to benefit the Reed Parr Music Endowment.

Foster’s songs are a remarkable hybrid of blues, gospel, roots and folk music rich with honest spirituality and emotion. Her vocal abilities have critics comparing her to Ella Fitzgerald and Aretha Franklin. Foster’s passionate songs and scintillating live performances attract both the young and old for an uplifting experience of dancing, listening, laughing and even some crying; especially when Foster rounds out the joyous occasion with her versions of show-stopping gospel standards.

Her latest release, “Stages” from Blue Corn Music, is a collection of 14 songs recorded live in Austin with Will Taylor, in Houston with the Strings Attached chamber ensemble at St. David’s Episcopal Church, Anderson Fair, and in Boston, Mass., at Club Passim. The live performances include old favorites like “Crossover,” “Another Rain Song” and “Real Love” as well as roof-raising gospel standards “Death Came a Knockin’ (Travelin’ Shoes)” and “Walk On.” The album finishes with the title cut to her breakthrough CD “Runaway Soul.”

Foster’s performance highlights include PBS syndicated Austin City Limits--which has aired in 2003 and 2004--a 2004 tour of U.K. theaters with Eric Bibb, the Strawberry Music Festival in California, the Vancouver Folk Festival, the Willie Nelson Picnic, the Winnipeg Folk Festival, Folks Fest in Lyons, Colo., the Waterfront Blues Festival in Oregon, the Tonder Festival in Denmark, the Philadelphia Folk Festival, the Austin City Limits Festival and numerous others.

Tickets prices are $10 for the general public and $5 for students, with limited seating. Advance tickets can be purchased by calling (877) TIC-TXST or (512) 245-2030. Visa, MasterCard and American Express are accepted. For further information, contact the Events Coordinator at (512) 245-3501.