Foley finds inspiration from Stones' sources

Discovering her own style in the blues took some time.
By JOHN PATRICK GATTA
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
It took Sue Foley's undying love of the Rolling Stones to lead her to her musical calling. Initially, this blues artist -- who will be at The Cellar next week -- paid attention to the music of the punk rock scene. She then moved on to the material of the Stones, and, eventually, the American bluesmen who influenced them.
"I was just so infatuated with music, especially during my early teens," she said during a recent phone interview from her home just outside of Ottawa. "It was pretty much my entire existence.
"I'm just restless by nature and I am inquisitive and I read a lot. I would just be reading books on the Stones and they would be talking about someone like Muddy Waters. It was that simple. Once I saw my first blues show, I realized the whole power of the music and what was really going on, what effect it could have on people and I was so moved that I had to pursue it."
Starting out
At 15 years old, that initial taste of blues music, a performance by harpist James Cotton, was all it took for her to dig deeper and deeper into the genre.
She practiced the guitar and, admittedly, aped the styles of her favorite performers, particularly Earl Hooker and Memphis Minnie.
"It's harder to find yourself, at times, in the blues. We just worship those guys. They become legends and then little white kids from not-poor parts of town play these songs that were written by big black men in the Delta."
Although she didn't receive credit for originality, Foley did convince others that she had the goods musically. Someone who felt that way was Clifford Antone, whose Austin, Texas, nightclub became the focal point for the emergence of a new generation of players such as Stevie Ray Vaughn and the Fabulous Thunderbirds.
Foley moved to Austin in the early '90s and, under Antone's guidance, toured and released four albums on his label.
"On my first couple of albums, you hear my influences, where my point of reference is. You can't help but model yourself after something," she said.
Moving along
As time passed and more tour dates followed, Foley began to inject other styles and influences into her repertoire. By the time she recorded "Love Comin' Down," she displayed a broader sound that reflected the scope of her singing, writing and playing abilities. Others agreed. The release won a Juno Award, the Canadian equivalent of the Grammy, for Best Blues Album. She also won five Maple Blues Awards in her homeland.
"I started to feel a little freer in all the forms. I think it was just time and confidence."
That is displayed on her current release, "Where the Action Is." On it, she swiftly moves through a host of blues styles. In the end, the impression left on the listener isn't what influenced these sounds. Instead, it's Foley's sharp songwriting, concise playing and assured manner.
"It's a lighter album. It's not light musically, the feeling is more about drive and having fun," explained Foley about the attitude she wanted to exhibit on this set of tunes.
Not surprisingly, one of the three nonoriginals on "Where the Action Is" is a cover of the Rolling Stones' "Stupid Girl."
Even when she basks in staking a claim in blues music, Foley can't help but indulge in the roots of her past.