Ann Rabson, popular Virginia blues musician, dead at 67

A beloved musician from Virginia's blues scene, Ann Rabson, passed away today, according to a news release from Alligator Records.

The release said that Rabson died in her hometown of Fredericksburg after a long battle with cancer. She was 67.

Best known as singer and keyboardist for Saffire -- The Uppity Blues Women, Rabson had been a solo act in recent years.

She performed sporadically in Hampton Roads, including a 2003 appearance at Thomas Nelson Community College as part of the Acoustic Blues Revivial festival and a 1999 gig at the now-defunct JM Randalls in Williamsburg.

For a story that ran before the 2003 show, Rabson told me that the piano afforded her great flexibility. "Piano players can do anything," she said. "I can play a sports bar, or an opera house. It's a wonderful thing."