2001's Presumed Innocent from Marcia Ball is yet another rollicking, good humored reason why this Austin marvel continues to be nominated as artist of the year for the W.C. Handy Blues Award year after year.

Marcia Ball's Sing It! has her teamed up with Irma Thomas and Tracy Nelson, a splendid combination of talent. She has several solo albums behind her and more coming in the future, but Sing it! has been very well received. It earned her an interview on 11/3/98 PBS's "Fresh Air" with Terry Gross, which gave her excellent national exposure.

Add the W.C. Handy award "Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year" to Marcia's list of achievements and you begin to understand her talent. Marcia Ball is an important factor in the Austin music scene, helping make Austin the music "capital" it is.

Let Me Play With Your Poodle is typical Marcia, full of ribald double meaning she leaves for the audience to interpret in their own way, and grown from a long blues tradition of tunes with suggestive lyrics.

Marcia grew up surrounded by the rollicking Louisiana rhythms, honky-tonk, gospel and blues that characterize her style. Ted Raymond, writing in the Fort Walton, FL, Daily News, said of Marcia, "In the pantheon of stride piano artists, she's ranked right up there with vintage Fats Domino, Professor Longhair, Dr. John, Leon Russell - and the killer himself, Jerry Lee Lewis. ...After exploding behind the keyboard for a couple of numbers, she'll uncork a slow, bluesy tune - and unveil a smokey voice that grabs you equally as raptly as her piano pyrotechnics." Rick Mason of the Star Tribune called her "the bayou queen of the piano."

Her band includes Don Bennett on bass, Chris Miller on guitar, Dan Torosian on sax, Chris Hunter on drums. Marcia lists Johnny Medina, her sound man and photographer, as a member of her "band" as well.

Her website is full of sound clips and interesting tidbits.