Ann Rabson: Guitar, Piano, Vocals, Kazoo and Whistle
Influences
Leroy Carr, Jimmy Yancey, Memphis Minnie, Bessie Smith, Lucielle Bogan, Pete Johnson, Little Richard, Big Bill Broonzy, Erwin Helfer, Huey "Piano" Smith, Pinetop Smith, Amos Milburn, Eddie Bo, Roosevelt Sykes, Fats Domino, Johnnie Johnson, Meade Lux Lewis, Ray Charles, Sister Rosetta Tharp, Charles Brown, Howard Armstrong, Ma Rainy, Tampa Red, Mary Lou Williams, Sunnyland Slim, Georgia Tom Dorsey, Whistling Alex Moore, Ruth Brown, Henry Butler, Maureen Del Grosso, Howlin' Wolf, Big Maceo, Sippie Wallace, Little Brother Montgomery, Brownie McGhee Etc...
Ann Rabson was born in New York City and raised in the Midwest.
She fell in love with the blues in 1949 when she heard Big Bill
Broonzy on a live radio show.
Ann has performed blues, mostly as a solo artist, since her first
paying gig in 1962. In the mid-1980s Ann joined with two friends
to form the popular group Saffire. In addition to appearing on
eight Saffire albums and, as a side person, on many other albums,
Ann has released three solo albums, "Music Makin' Mama," (1997)
and "Struttin' My Stuff" (2000) and "In a Family Way" (2005) to
enthusiastic critical acclaim.
Music Makin' Mama was nominated for two W.C. Handy Awards (now
known as the Blue Music Awards). Ann has been nominated as
Traditional Female Blues Artist of the Year seven times and her
composition "Elevator Man" was nominated for Song of the Year. In
2003 Ann Was inducted into the Boogie Woogie Hall of Fame.
Ann maintains an active solo touring schedule in the U.S., Canada
and overseas. In addition to playing in clubs, festivals, parties
and concerts, Rabson has enjoyed corrupting the youth by
performed blues shows for children in schools in New York state,
Pennsylvania, Illinois, Iowa and in Canada in Ottawa, Ontario and
Fredericton, NB.
Ann has taught piano workshops for several blues societies, as
well as at the Fur Peace Ranch in Ohio, the Augusta Heritage
Center's Blues Week in West Virginia and the Centrum workshops in
Port Townsend, Wash. She has conducted workshops in Blues
songwriting and arranging at the Summer Acoustic Music Workshops
(SAMW) in New Hampshire.
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Hello Ann, I hope this finds you well! May peace, love and joy be yours today, tomorrow and always! May everyday be a sparkling new beginning! Let that music fly! There's a great need to keep the blues alive! You are the lady to do that! Happy Holidays my dear friend! Warm smiles to you! Sandra~
Even though you've been Bad but Sooooo Good this last year, the Fat Man has a Special Gift for you in his Bag of Boogie this Holiday, so stay in touch and the Mojo will surround your Groove, which is a Blessing to us all!!
I thought you might enjoy this clip. I definately did!!!! Keep that bluesy music coming Ann, If anybody can play ('IT'), you sure can!!!! Peace and Love Always Sweetness~
Ann ... how are you . I remember the first time I ran into you at a gas station outside Baltimore in 1989. You guys were playing at the Baltimore Blues Society Picnic. We went with guys from Sonny Rhodes Band and others and had a blast as well as sat in with a band that day. Then I saw you at the 1989 W C Handy Awards show and we had that confrence at the Rum Boogie Cafe ... you guys had just signed with Alligator. We had a blast on Beale Street over the next few days as well as played some music with guys like Little Milton, Duke Robillard and others. Hope you doing well . I used to be a Pennsylvania man so ... I know some people that were involved with the Pocono Fest and I see your playin there .... best 2 U and the other Uppity ladies .... Hello from sunny Orlando Florida.
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