Superlatives are rare in album titles, so if you’re going to stick a word like “phenomenal” in front of your name on a record cover, you darn well better have the goods to back it up. “Those are some big shoes!” laughs Ruthie Foster, who admits to initially having “quite a few reservations” about calling her fifth album ‘The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster’, crediting her producer, noted Austin-based “swamp music” guitarist Papa Mali, for making that gutsy call. As for how he came up with it, well… just give it a listen, and you’ll understand. Calling this record anything but “phenomenal” would be akin to false advertising.
This release of ‘The Phenomenal’ is a limited edition slipcase double CD set together with ‘Stages’, Foster’s only live album, which is a stripped-back, solo acoustic affair that makes the most of her incredible voice.
