RSS
Home
Long, tall Marcia Ball in Colorado
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
In her fourth decade as an entertainer, Marcia Ball has put in enough effort for several lifetimes – her thirteen critically acclaimed albums, hundreds of thousands of miles of non-stop touring, Grammy nominations and W.C. Handy awards. It’s earned Austin’s piano queen a tremendous and intensely faithful following all over the world – and musical wealth beyond money to show for her career.
"I'm still pining for a hit!,” Ball said with a laugh prior to her performance at the Boulder Theater on Friday night.
“But lacking that, I've been fortunate just to be able to do what I love to do, and to continue. I have this stock line that I tell to young people getting started who want to have a career in music: You don't have to be Sara Lee to be a good baker. You don't have to be Britney or Christina or whoever is the top act on the charts have a career – to have a life, to make good music. If you love the process like I do, if you're suited for the whole lifestyle – it involves travel, it involves business, it involves creativity and discipline, because if you want to be a long term performer, it helps to not have too many bad habits – if you have a liking for all of those things, then you can actually survive and thrive in it.
“However, it's not easy. As my friends say, if it was easy, everybody'd do it . . .”
In concert, “Her Tallness,” as Ball is affectionately called – she’s over six feet tall in heels – rocks the house with her pounding piano playing and crystal-clear vocal phrasing, fusing New Orleans and Gulf Coast R&B with Texas’ songwriting tradition on favorite songs new (the lighthearted “Watermelon Time”) and old (“Fly On The Wall”). Live performances define her niche – stylish, meticulous and accomplished.
"I love what I do at every level. I like playing big festivals like the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and I like playing in the middle of a town square in Lafayette, or a winery in Grand Junction or biker bars in Kansas City,” she said. “I travel with fun, compatible people. There's a lot of elements to put together, but I'm very lucky."
Ball is on the road in a summer crammed with dates promoting her new CD, Peace, Love & BBQ, her first new studio release in four years. Next, she’ll perform at the Blues, Brews & BBQ festival in Beaver Creek on Saturday, May 24.
Ball wrote or co-wrote eight of the thirteen songs on Peace, Love & BBQ, produced by Stephen Bruton. Guests include Dr. John, Wayne Toups, Tracy Nelson and Terrance Simien. (www.alligator.com; www.marciaball.com)
Related Articles:
Comments
