Blues, gospel, and soul influences from Mahalia Jackson to Aretha Franklin resonate in Ruthie Foster's voice, but for all her power, what's most distinctive about this artist is her honest spirituality and her direct, one-to-one way of communicating with an audience in original songs rooted in her own experiences. Ruthie has a new CD, "The Truth According to Ruthie Foster," that Blues Revue calls "a full-on blast of soul and blues." Truth be told, she could sing the phone book, jam on a laundry list and send everyone home happy. But Ruthie Foster is as extraordinary in her songwriting as in her singing, and her superb new music tackles life's big issues--above all the core issue of staying true to yourself.