Long Tall Marcia Ball has been a fixture on the Texas/Louisiana music circuit for several years. She is the Queen of boogie piano. She has a unique ability to tenderize even the hardest hearts, and raise the roof at the same time. Although she never had a commercial "hit", her records and live sets are energetic events that have earned her legions of fans across the globe.
Mar 20, 1949
Orange, Texas
Let Me Play With Your Poodle
Hot Tamale Baby
I'd Rather Go Blind
That's Enough of That Stuff
Soulful Dress
Hot Tamale Baby
I'd Rather Go Blind
Let Me Play With Your Poodle
Born in Texas, raised in Louisiana, and seasoned back in Austin,Texas, Marcia Ball has blazed a unique musical trail to become a treasure of American roots music. Her rollicking piano style, soulful voice, and songwriting skills add up to one of the most exciting performers on today's music scene.
Marcia started in a psychedelic band in the late 1960's.
Influenced by the great New Orleans and Texas piano players like Professor Longhair, Ball's playing style is an ultra-rhythmic gumbo of Texas boogie-woogies and New Orleans mambos. All the while she exudes a definite Blues undercurrent that keeps the grooves real. Her habit of kicking her crossed leg to the beat delightfully animates her performances.
Ball's exquisite voice was seasoned in Austin in the company of the great local vocalists of the area. She is able to stand toe-to-toe with Etta James on the classic I'd Rather Go Blind, yet can raise the roof with New Orleans party classics like Red Beans. Lou An Barton and Angela Strehli recorded with Marcia and still have many late night duets with her in the clubs around Austin.
At one time, Marcia owned one of those clubs, La Zona Rosa, Along with a regular slate of live music, the club featured a legendary piano night where some of the best boogie players in the world would gather every week to steal licks and cut heads.
Ball recording career has been basically with two labels, Rounder and Alligator. She has nine releases with the latest being a live venture.
Marcia's reputation comes mostly from here exciting live performances. Her band features some of the hottest players in Texas and, in the Texas tradition, always keeps it swinging. She has become a regular on the festival scene and seems to be always on tour, another Texas tradition ala Bob Wills.
Marcia's music includes every element of Southwest Louisiana, Eastern Texas music scene. Blues, Rock & Roll, Zydeco, Cajun, Swamp Pop, and New Orleans Second Line all infiltrate her grooves to create her unique sound. Add to that her engaging personality, and you surely have one of America's musical treasures.
