One of the artists I look most forward to see at the Notodden Blues Festival this year, is Ruthie Foster. This will be her first time playing in Norway, and it’s about time!

Ruthie Foster is a soul/gospel/blues artist originally from Gause, Tx, between Dallas and Houston, but she has lived in Austin for the last 15 years or so. Since 1997 she has released 7 CDs, the last one, Let It Burn, released this year. The Truth According To Ruthie Foster, which was released in 2009, earned her a GRAMMY nomination. In 2010 she won the Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year class at the Blues Music Award.

All Music Guide calls Ruthie Foster “one of the gospel-blues scene’s best-kept secrets for over a decade”, and now finally the Norwegian ausience will get a chance to see her at the Notodden Bues Festival in August. She is coming with her all female trio, Tanya Richardson on bass and Samantha Banks on drums.

Ruthie Foster’s good friend Carolyn Wonderland is one of the other artists to play the festival, and they are known to do some songs together some times, like they did here at the SXSW. Maybe the audience will get a surprise and see two of the best female artists from Austin playing together?

Recommended listening is Let t Burn, wth the haunting versions of The Band’s It Makes No Difference, and also Crosby, Stills & Nash’s Long time Gone.