Marcia Ball

Blessed with a voice tailor-made to sing the blues, vocalist and pianist Marcia Ball also knows a little something about being in the right place at the right time. After her graduation from Louisiana State University in 1970, Ball -- ready to watch the Gulf Coast disappear into her rearview mirror -- set out for San Francisco. Less than 500 miles later, she found herself stranded in Austin, Texas, a place she's called home ever since. Ball has become a major presence in the Austin music scene over the past thirty years, brewing her own distinctive brand of bayou blues and Texas boogie with grace and flair. She's also had the chance to collaborate with some of the best in the business, including slide guitarist Sonny Landreth, vocalists Delbert McClinton and Irma Thomas, and the legendary B.B. King. So Many Rivers, the Texas-born, Louisiana-raised songwriter's latest collection of soulful ballads and rollicking boogie, remains true to her unique roots.