Ann Rabson, Saffire, Uppity Blues Women Co-Founder Dies: Blues Pianist Passes Away after Long Fight with Cancer at 67

Ann Rabson, famed barrel-house blues pianist, guitarist, and singer, died of cancer yesterday in Fredericksburg, Virginia, at the age of 67. Rabson was a founding member of the three-piece blues ensemble Saffire - The Uppity Blues Women and has shared the stage with such acts as B.B. King, Ray Charles, and Willie Dixon. Described as a delightful person, the loss of Rabson is a huge hit to the blues community.

Rabson was born in New York City in 1945 and, at the age of 17, was given a guitar by father. She idolized many blues greats and became a professional musician herself in 1962. Ann moved to Fredericksburg, Virginia, in 1971 and started teaching music lessons part-time from her performing career. Rabson has always talked fondly of her life as a blues musician, saying she was always drawn to it naturally. Mostly known for her musicianship on the piano, Ann did not start playing the instrument until she was 35 years old. She ended up teaching herself. Her playing has been described as having a staggering authority in the blues genre. Rabson has released 3 solo albums (her latest, released in 2012, is a collaboration with Bob Morgalin entitled Not Alone) and was nominated 8 times for a Blues Music Award. Ann's first album, Music Makin' Mama, released on Alligator records in 1997, was nominated in both Traditional and Acoustic Blues categories for Album of the Year. Also, in 2008, Rabson was nominated Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year.

Ann is known most for her work with Saffire - The Uppity Blues women, where her style of blues piano made her an influential force in the genre. The group was formed in 1987 and consisted of Ann, Gaye Adegbalola, and Andra Faye McIntosh (who replaced Earlene Lewis in 1992). Their music was a mixed serious blues numbers with novelty, comedic tunes, bridging gaps and appealing to wider audience than many of their peers. They also covered the music of Big Mama Thornton and Ida Cox, to name a few. Saffire was then signed to Alligator Records as the label's first acoustic act. Alligator released 10 records by the band including a compilation album in 2006 and the band's first release, a self-produced cassette entitled Middle Age Blues in 1987. After 25 years of performing, Saffire - The Uppity Blues women disbanded in 2009. 

Ann Rabson is survived by her daughter, her husband of 31 years, as well as her father, brother, half-sister, and her granddaughter. Surely the loss of such a gifted musician will be felt in the blues community as well as the music community in general.