MADISON, Ind. (February 2004) –  The 2004 Madison Ribberfest has booked Grammy nominated singer-songwriter Marcia Ball to headline the third annual festival, which is scheduled for Aug. 20-21 along the riverfront. The relatively new event features two days of blues bands, rib-cooking contests and hot air balloon races. It serves as the Indiana State Championship for the Kansas City Barbecue Association's national points contest.

Blues singer Marcia Ball.

" We're excited to have this major act coming to Madison, and especially now that she has been nominated for a Grammy," said Linda Lytle, executive director of the Madison Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, which stages the festival.
Ball, a native of Orange, Texas, was nominated for Best Blues Contemporary album for her recent release, "So Many Rivers." The nomination committee described it as "another satisfying set that explores the many aspects of the blues, from roadhouse rock to funky New Orleans second-line struts, while showcasing her winning way with a simmering ballad. Stephen Bruton, longtime lead gu itarist for Bonnie Raitt, gives these tracks a horn-driven polish that shows off Ball's piano playing as well as her impressive pipes."

Harmonica player Mark Hummel.

Ball's career has spanned three decades and produced 11 albums in all. She commands a loyal following on the blues circuit and has attained national promience. She has appeared on dozens of TV shows and is scheduled to appear in Clint Eastwood's "Piano Blues."
David Butler and Rocky Harrell, co-chairmen of the Ribberfest's blues fest committee, listened to hundreds of songs from various leaders in the blues music arena to select this year's crop of performers. Others booked so fa r to appear this summer in Madison are Tad Benoit of Louisiana; Kid Ramos of California; and harmonica-playing Mark Hummel of Los Angeles.
Other bands scheduled to play include the Madison-based Blues Devils and Jimmy D, plus Magic Slim & the Teardrops, Sean Costello and Greg Schaber.

Louisiana's Tad Benoit.

Ball is expected to draw a crowd, whether or not she wins the prestigious Grammy.
The recording industry's most prestigious award, the Grammy is presented annually by the Recording Academy. A Grammy is awarded by the Recording Academy's voting membership to honor excellence in the recording arts and sciences. It is truly a peer honor, awarded by and to artists and technical professionals for artistic or technical achievement, not sales or chart positions. The annual Grammy Awards presentation brings together thousands of creative and technical professionals in the recording industry from all over the world. This year's show was held Feb. 8 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and was telecast live on CBS to an international audience.

• For more information or to order tickets, call the Madison Area Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-800-559-2956 or visit: www.madisonribberfest.com.