Ruth’s recent album on Third Man, “Water Still Flows” is barely two weeks from release but already feels like an old favorite. The vast and atmospheric space jazz tinges found on “I Survived, It’s Over” are still there; but a harder edge has been added. Heavy guitars and fuzz, a touch of sludge and darkness. That’s not to say this is a dark album. These additions are well-balanced. Part of that balancing act is harpist (and local favorite) Mikaela Davis’s contributions to the record.
Ruth and his band came through Woodstock on the last night of a run supporting Davis and her band, Southern Star. There was a moment during the last few minutes of “Action at a Distance” where I could notice Ruth and company win over the crowd. After a few minutes of atmospheric sax work by Sam Que, the rhythm section starts to boil. You can feel the energy begin to mass and then explode as Ruth lays into his guitar. People that had previously been talking to friends started looking to the stage.
Davis joined on the last two songs of the set. This was a special treat I don’t expect to see again any time soon. The first track she plays on “No Muscle, No Memory” offers a great microcosm of what this project is. At its beginning, it sounds like the period just before the sun comes up; the time when the new day could be anything and possibilities exist. But by its end it had obvious definition, and you know what the sunrise had brought.
The Colony is a challenging room to tape in. On this night, I was set up on the balcony, slightly left of center. While the mix in the room was good, this location leaves me in the middle of people looking for a quieter place to chat. As such, crowd chatter is noticeable during quieter passages. Overall, the quality is very good, but this is most certainly an “AUD”. Enjoy!
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Rich Ruth
2024-06-27
Colony
Woodstock, NY
Source: MBHO 440 > MixPre3 (clamped to railing on balcony, slightly left of center) > SD (24/48) > Adobe Audition/Izotope 9 > Audacity Flac (lvl8) > Mp3Tag
Recorded and produced by kliked for nyctaper.com
- Heavy & Earthbound
- Action at a Distance
- Taken Back
- Marina
- No Muscle, No Memory*
- Crying In The Trees*
Mike Ruth – Guitar, Keys
Taro Yamasaki – Bass
Taylor Floreth – Drums
Sam Que – Sax
*Mikaela Davis – Harp
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https://richruth.bandcamp.com/album/water-still-flows
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https://www.colonywoodstock.com/upcoming_events
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