Ruthie Foster - Live At The Paramount

2020

Live at the Paramount captures a concert Ruthie Foster gave at Austin's Paramount Theater on January 26, 2019. Joy Comes Back, her 2017 album, was no longer fresh, but she's a staple in Austin and always able to draw a crowd. The symbiotic relationship between artist and audience is what gives Live at the Paramount its lift. Although crowd noise is kept to a minimum here, it's evident that Foster gains sustenance from listeners who enjoy her reworkings of "Ring of Fire," "Fly Me to the Moon," and "Mack the Knife" as much as her own original material. Whether she's turning "Ring of Fire" into a slow-burner or leaning into the soul-sustaining blues of "Brand New Day" and "Joy Comes Back," she relies on nuance as much power, and that blend of finesse and fire makes Live at the Paramount a valuable document of Foster's range. AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine