Blues pianist Marcia Ball plays Tampa’s Skipper’s Smokehouse on Friday

I don’t think many musicians can say that they managed to share a gumbo recipe with the world during lockdown. In blues pianist Marcia Ball’s case—having spent much of her life in the South, specifically Louisiana—it was inevitable.

Oddly enough, it’s been a hot minute since Ball—an Alligator Records artist who cites Fats Domino as an influence—has rolled into Tampa Bay, her last stop here appears to be a 2014 slot at Clearwater Jazz Holiday with the late Dr. John, so this gig at Skipper’s with local legend Reverend Billy C. Wirtz is not one to skip.

Tickets to see Marcia Ball at Tampa’s Skipper’s Smokehouse on Friday, Jan. 13 are still available for $20-$25.

This article appears in Jan 5-11, 2023.