St.
Louis is a fantastic music town, with some of
the best blues to found anywhere! Some visitors
made a great weekend of music even better, as
the Handy award winning talent of Marcia Ball
and the long running Roomful of Blues brought
thier distinct sounds to St. Louis for 2 very
special shows.
Roomful appeared at BB's, thanks to John Wolf
of Bonehenge music for helping arrange this
show. John, one of St. Louis' finest trombone
players and currently performing with the Soulard
Blues Band, was a member of ROB from 1998 to
2000.
From the RFT
"With a history that stretches back to
1967, Roomful of Blues is one of the most durable
ensembles in music. As one might expect, they’ve
had many personnel changes over the years, with
saxophonist Rich Lataille, who joined in 1970,
currently the senior member. But even while
key alumni including guitarists Duke Robillard
and Ronnie Earl and vocalist Lou Ann Barton
have gone on to successful solo careers, Roomful
has proved remarkably resilient in weathering
the ups and downs of the music business by continually
restocking itself with capable musicians.
Marcia
Ball appeared at the Sheldon, quite possibly
the best venue in town to acoustically showcase
the talents of this piano queen! She sits down
to the piano, her legs start moving to the rhythm,
and as she begins to get into her dance-hall
swing the keyboard comes alive. Her louisiana
influenced style reflects shades of Professor
Longhair, yet Marcia's style is all her own.
Two personal favorites 'Red Beans' and 'Enough
of that Stuff' had the sell-out crowd showing
their enthusiasm, some finding it impossible
to sit still to!
Marcia recalled the first time she played St.
Louis, "it was a Soulard Mardi Gras masked
ball", and STLBlues was fortunate enough
to be there. (The Underground Subterranean Ball,
always a fun event produced by the Soulard Social
Aid & Pleasure club)
Dean Minderman
of the RFT says "Those performance
skills have served her well as she’s moved
from small clubs to concert halls and festivals,
earning several Handy Awards and a Grammy nomination
along the way."
We've seen Marcia down at the King Biscuit in
Helena, and even further south at the Jazzfest
in N'awlins, where she's a perennial favorite,
but seeing her in a small concert hall like
the Sheldon almost gives a "living room"
feel to the event. In case you missed Marcia,
you'll find all her music at MarciaBall.com,
where she's just announcing her newest CD. 'Live!
Marcia Ball - Down the Road'.
St.
Louis is a fantastic music town, with some of
the best blues to found anywhere! Some visitors
made a great weekend of music even better, as
the Handy award winning talent of Marcia Ball
and the long running Roomful of Blues brought
thier distinct sounds to St. Louis for 2 very
special shows. 
Marcia
Ball appeared at the Sheldon, quite possibly
the best venue in town to acoustically showcase
the talents of this piano queen! She sits down
to the piano, her legs start moving to the rhythm,
and as she begins to get into her dance-hall
swing the keyboard comes alive. Her louisiana
influenced style reflects shades of Professor
Longhair, yet Marcia's style is all her own.
Two personal favorites 'Red Beans' and 'Enough
of that Stuff' had the sell-out crowd showing
their enthusiasm, some finding it impossible
to sit still to! 
