Long Tall Marcia Ball

Dayna Wills · Post by **Dayna Wills** » 20 Feb 2005 10:01 pm

I went to see Marcia Ball in Winters, CA last week and boy what a show! She just kept it movin', played the fire out of that Roland, (I wonder how many she goes through in a year?) and when she sang a ballad, I hung on every note. She had a great band, bass, drums, sax,and an exceptional guitarist named Pat Boyack. The thing that made him so interesting is that he is the most frugal BLUES player I have ever heard in that he never played one note too many or one note too few. I was so drawn in that I couldn't wait to hear what he was going to play next. If you have never been to see Marcia you really must do that when she's in your area. She hails from Louisiana and resides in Austin, TX which is where I met her. We were at Maryann Price's house making an all girl WS video. At the concert I bought her "Presumed Innocent" CD and it's great, especially the duet she does with Delbert McClinton called "You Make it Hard". You can check her out at www.marciaball.com.

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Billy Wilson · Post by **Billy Wilson** » 21 Feb 2005 1:44 am

Dayna, I'd love to see that all girl Western swing video you did. Is it available? I was hoping to see you last Friday with Tommy Thomsen's band. I guess you only did the Saturday show. I had a great time Friday. How was Saturday? I checked out Marcia Ball one time and was amazed to hear her tell the sound man "I don't want any monitors just turn the mains up till I can hear them. She was terrific. BW

Rick McDuffie · Post by **Rick McDuffie** » 21 Feb 2005 4:44 am

Marcia Ball's great.

"I don't need any monitors..."- that's my kind of gal!

Mark Metdker · Post by **Mark Metdker** » 21 Feb 2005 5:10 am

Marcia is one of my favorites. SHe always puts on a good show. Very professional and always has a great band. She has been at it for years, and seems to get better with age!

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Zum U-12 w/True Tone pickup thru a Nashville 112

Strats thru a tweed Bassman

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Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 21 Feb 2005 7:50 am

Marcia Ball is one of the class act artists that helped create the "Live Music Capital of the World" reputation of City of Austin TX.

I've known and loved her for 33 years. In fact, she was the first singer I saw in Austin when I moved here in 1972. I did an Austin City Limits show with her in the mid-70's, in fact.

Marcia was a great country singer for most of the 70's, but then returned to her Louisiana roots and became Blues Queen, winning awards and success with that genre.

Kathy and I still stay in touch with MB and her husband, Gordon Fowler, since Kathy is their veterinarian. For that matter, Kathy works on Cindy Cashdollar's kitty also, and local media legend Cactus Pryor's dogs, so I guess I'm married to "Veterinarian To The Stars."

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James Pennebaker · Post by **James Pennebaker** » 21 Feb 2005 10:00 am

I had the honor of recording on Marcia's last studio project, 2003's "So Many Rivers." I've followed her career since her "Freida & The Fire Dogs" days back in the 1970s in Austin. She's like a national treasure down there. As she's been part of an annual music cruise that I've been involved in over the last 10 or 11 years, I've gotten to know her and she's just as wonderful a person as is the music she makes. It's really cool to see her appreciated on a forum such as this which is usually not about Blues or R&B music. What Marcia does is just plain good music, period, and that's what it's all about. And Pat Boyack is about as fine a blues player as anyone out there these days plus he's a great guy to boot!
JP[This message was edited by James Pennebaker on 21 February 2005 at 10:01 AM.]

Dayna Wills · Post by **Dayna Wills** » 21 Feb 2005 3:58 pm

Billy, I didn't do the gig with Tommy, he asked and I was working on it, but then I got the flu. I may get to ATTEND the SFSU on the 15th of March when Lost Weekend plays for Bob Wills' 100th birthday.
About the all girl video: I don't know if it ever got finished. I'll have ask and see if it's available.

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Dayna Wills · Post by **Dayna Wills** » 21 Feb 2005 3:59 pm

But Herbie,
Am I still your favorite chick singer?

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Rick McDuffie · Post by **Rick McDuffie** » 21 Feb 2005 4:00 pm

Hey James- there are some real musicians on this Forum! (as well as appreciators of "good music").

It does my heart good whenever a steel player is interested in something besides Ray Price or Conway T (not to detract from either of them).

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 21 Feb 2005 4:34 pm

Dayna, don't qualify it by saying chick "singer." You are my favorite chick, period!!

With apologies to your husband and my wife, of course!

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James Pennebaker · Post by **James Pennebaker** » 21 Feb 2005 7:16 pm

Rick,

You are absolutely right that there are some great musicians on this forum. That's part of what makes it such a good hang! Like you, I was glad to see Marcia get appreciated here. It's usually about country music around these parts, and rightly so, but it is the "Music" forum so anything goes in my book!

JP[This message was edited by James Pennebaker on 21 February 2005 at 07:19 PM.]

Dana Duplan · Post by **Dana Duplan** » 22 Feb 2005 7:47 am

I agree with the comments on Marcia--I've seen her quite a few times, but never with Boyack. Also worth mentioning, Pat has recorded several "solo" albums with his band "Pat Boyack and the Prowlers". Pretty much straight electric blues, and worth seeking out for fans of the T-Birds, Ronnie Earl, Anson, etc.
DD

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 22 Feb 2005 8:54 am

Add me to the Marcia Ball appreciation society; she's terrific! All of her CDs that I've heard are very good but my favorite is the trio record she did with Tracy Nelson and Irma Thomas called SING IT! Everyone I've played it for has bought it.
http://www.amazon.com/...glance&s=music [This message was edited by b0b on 23 February 2005 at 08:13 AM.]

Jerry Hayes · Post by **Jerry Hayes** » 22 Feb 2005 9:31 am

I saw Marcia in Norfolk a few years ago and she was Hot, Hot, Hot!!! I love the way she wears those short skirts and crosses that one long leg over the other one when she plays. She's one of the most unique acts I've ever seen. She sings and plays with so much fire and although she's not a raving beauty, she's one of the sexiest ladies I've ever seen on stage.....Wow...and again..Wow!! JH in Va.

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Livin' in the Past and Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.