Blues, gospel, and soul influences from Mahalia Jackson to Aretha Franklin resonate in Foster's voice, but for all her power, what's most distinctive about Foster 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 Foster, in short, is a folk singer rather than an R&B or gospel artist, and her current CD, justifiably titled "The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster," lives up to its name with strong overtones of classic soul styles and a setting of a Maya Angelou poem, "Phenomenal Woman."

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