Duane Rutter

Duane Rutter has Hit a Home Run with "Waiting Room"
author: Steve Clarke
I've never met Duane Rutter. We've traded e-mails a couple of times and he seems like a pretty nice guy -- down to earth and focused on what matters, like family and friends, but we’ve never been able to meet face to face. So, despite the fates not having let us meet, I feel that I know him and it’s all because he sent me his debut CD "Waiting Room".
Now, Duane’s no novice at this music thing – he’s called himself “a twenty-five year overnight sensation”; but he’s an accomplished singer-songwriter as well as an experienced side man with various musicians in the Simcoe / Port Dover area of southwestern Ontario. This is an album that features exceptionally crafted tunes complemented by insightful, often introspective lyrics that address life’s universal themes.
Backed by exceptional players including the multi-talented Dan Walsh, the guitar, dobro, mandolin and upright bass all support each arrangement without overpowering. Mr. Rutter has managed to capture a haunting, yet hopeful spirit throughout the album.
Whether the powerful confessions in “Goodnight Amy” or the difficulties of relationship building in “Heartless Wheel” or even the surreal imagery of “Dead Man”, this is a collection of ten songs that speaks from and to the heart.
My personal favourite? Perhaps, “Rachel Sings”, or maybe “No More Wine for Jesus” or . . . Even better: buy the album, grab your earphones and enjoy. Hopefully you’ll become as big a fan as I have.
Congratulations Duane – you have a winner here. I like to think that it will be easy to trade a tall tale or two with you over a pot of coffee when we finally get to meet.
Steve Clarke
Acoustic Planet Erin Radio -- CHES 101.5 FM
www.erinradio.ca
For Immediate Release May 8, 2007
Busted Flat Records launches Duane Rutter’s long-awaited debut album, Waiting Room
Duane Rutter’s debut album, Waiting Room, is more than 25 years in the making. The singer-songwriter has been at it since he first picked up a guitar at the age of 14 in Walsingham, Ontario, his hometown, and later, Port Rowan, Ontario, where he now calls home. He formed bands in high school and played his first solo gigs before he was 20, playing in lineups with music legends like Linda Lee and Ronnie Hawkins band members, Terry Danko and James Atkinson.
Overhear.com calls Rutter’s music “a combination of elements of everything from blues, folk, country, bluegrass and even a little psychedelia to form a riveting stew of emotional sustenance.”
Rutter’s soft voice and smooth melodies feel like he could be playing in your living room. If you close your eyes and let everything but the music fall away, you’d swear he was. Mandolin, upright bass and piano complement the baritone, parlour and bass guitar sounds, making for a relaxed, rich sound.
“Rachel Sings,” one of Rutter’s personal favourites from the album, showcases his talent for combining poetic lyrics with beautiful melodies that seem almost hopeful in both their tone and introspection. Together they explore the experiences of a man coming to terms with love, loss and change.
Rutter calls his style “North American Bluegrass with a heavy spiritual vibe.” Don’t be misled though – Rutter’s not preaching religion. He explains that his brand of spirituality stems from a desire to “spread the spirit of kindness and good will to as many people as possible while my body walks the earth.”
Rutter’s musical influences include Guy Clark, The Carter Family, Fred Eaglesmith, The Band, Alison Krauss and Union Station, Waylon Jennings and Lightinin’ Hopkins. It doesn’t take long to find these influences in his work, but Rutter definitely has a style and sound of his own.
Rutter spent 10 years away from the stage, which led to what he calls “a spiritual awakening that culminated in a return to performing in 2005.” Last year he signed with Mark Logan of Busted Flat Records and began working on tracks for Waiting Room. It was worth the wait.
“I took 10 years off from live performance in order to pull myself together and try and figure out what I really expected of myself as an artist,” says Rutter, “then word got out that I was hanging around a little studio close by, and a few gigs started trickling in, next thing I knew I was back in the game full time and ready to roll.”
Waiting Room features multi-talented producer/performer Dan Walsh (formerly of Fred Eaglesmith Band, currently with Brock Zemon), The Blue Rubies (Cindy Dell and Jen Ryckman)and Lee Anne Wesseling, who provides beautiful backup vocals. Additional support comes from Carrie Ashworth (J.P. Riemens & The Barfly's), Ty Ramsey-Porter, Paul Atkinson (The Atkinsons) and the incomparable Alfie Smith.The album was recorded in what’s come to be known as Dan Walsh’s “Cozy Little Shack on Lake Erie.”
Duane Rutter’s musical journey has taken him to bars and stages all over Ontario and beyond, but with the release of Waiting Room, he’ll be touring extensively and playing big city venues, with stops in Victoria, Calgary and Toronto.
The humility that resonates in his musical style and on his blog on MySpace suggests that this man who’s simply been doing what he loves for most of his life has no idea that he is on the cusp of being discovered by legions of adoring fans across the country.
Indie Digest’s Deward Weese predicts, “Waiting Room may very well turn out to be one of 2007's most intriguing releases. Catch one of Rutter’s captivatingly intimate performances and get an autographed copy. You won't be sorry.”
Waiting Room is available through www.bustedflatrecords.com, CD Baby, iTunes, CD Plus (in the Simcoe Town Centre mall , Simcoe Ontario), Fred Eaglesmiths Hobo Store and Lightning Jacks's (both in Port Dover Ontario), and Encore Records in Kitchener Ontario.
Duane Rutter’s tour dates are available at www.myspace.com/duaneruttersolo. Listen to tracks from Waiting Room at www.bustedflatrecords.com.
To book interviews with Duane Rutter or to request a review/play copy of the CD, contact:
Mark Logan, Busted Flat Records Cell: +1-519-221-0884 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.bustedflatrecords.com myspace: http://www.myspace.com/bustedflatrecords
Kathleen O’Grady Director, QUOI Media Group Cell: 514-886-2526 Email: [email protected] Website: www.quoimedia.com
Exclaim Wires and Whiskey Review June 2007
Duane Rutter
Waiting Room
By Patrick Finch
Duane Rutter’s warm evocations of loss and regret dominate Waiting Room, a record populated with many characters that miss their loved ones and wish they’d had more time. Rutter betrays the fragility of his narrators with his robust, calming voice and gentle, rolling finger-picking (not to mention the truly excellent assistance from guitar hero for hire Dan Walsh), particularly on standout track “Heartless Wheel,” which breaks up the sonic mourning with light snare rolls while Rutter wonders why “time had other reasons to change the way we feel.” There is no desperation on Waiting Room; instead, this record is a soft blanket comfort for those who have lost and are too tired to keep fighting. It is delicate and lovely medicine for the soul, and a fitting tribute to Rutter’s late mother, to whom the record is dedicated. (Busted Flat)
Back on the road; Duane Rutter returns as full-time musician
Elizabeth Yates
Brantford Expositor
- Thursday, June 21, 2007
He's getting great reviews and a growing roster of gigs, but life as a full-time musician is still scary for Port Rowan's Duane Rutter.
The 43-year-old singer-songwriter has played music since childhood and spent 15 years in bands on the bar circuit. Then, after a 10-year hiatus focused on raising a family, Rutter returned to the scene last year.
The past 12 months have been busy and fulfilling for the performer, who released a CD, called Waiting Room, in May and is fresh from a West Coast tour with fellow folkie Lynn Jackson.
"My soul is glad, my spirit is glad," he says of the decision to leave a comfortable but unsatisfying day job.
"But it's as frightening as hell. I worry for my family, for the burden I've placed on them.
"It's my responsibility to see that I continue to work: if I'm not on the phone every day trying to find gigs, then I'm just another unemployed guy sitting around."
A look at the tour dates posted on his website - www.myspace.com/duaneRuttersolo - proves he doesn't spend much time sitting around. A steady stream of shows stretch into the fall, including Canada Day festivities in St. George.
He'll share an early-evening slot there with Jay Linden, a veteran Cambridge singer-songwriter. "I just love playing with him," says Rutter, who will perform solo in addition to handling guitar for Linden.
"I'm still a gun for hire," he says of working as a sideman in groups including The Blue Rubies, a folkgrass trio performing regularly around Port Dover, Brantford and area.
He's also gigging regularly with Jackson, a Kitchener singer-songwriter and labelmate on Busted Flat Records.
Signing with the Kitchener-based indie label last year allowed him to finish and release Waiting Room, which has won rave reviews from critics. He's earning comparisons to the legendary Guy Clark, a Texan singer-songwriter who helped launch the roots-music movement in the 1970s. An icon whose songs have been covered by country superstars, Clark is still recording and was nominated for a Grammy in 2006.
That kind of feedback is flattering.
"It's all been positive. Everybody has been totally supportive . . . and I really appreciate the time that anybody takes to have a listen."The disc showcases Rutter's unique sound, a blend of blues, gospel and bluegrass that he calls blues-grass. A self-taught multi-instrumentalist who plays guitar, slide guitar, banjo and piano, he's also a versatile lyricist, penning memorable songs of love and loss.
Fans - or anyone interested in checking out Rutter's tunes - will have lots of local opportunities in coming weeks. Tonight, he hits the airwaves on CKRZ at 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday finds him at Lightning Jack's in Dover. He returns to the lake again for shows at David's on July 6-7 and there are plenty of other gigs to choose from.
A highlight comes on Aug. 3, when he plays the second annual tribute to Rick Danko - a Simcoe native and bassist for seminal '70s rock group, The Band - at Simcoe Composite School. Headlined by Colin Linden, the roster also features Rick's brother, Terry Danko, and James Atkinson. "I've known Terry and Jim forever," says Rutter, who'll perform with them on Aug. 3. "They're big heroes of mine."
And, further afield, there's talk of future tours in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and even Scotland and Germany.
His recent jaunt to Alberta and B.C. with Jackson for 13 shows in 14 days was an adventure, capped off by a brush with crime.
Performing in a cafe wide-open to the street, Rutter was too close to a potentially explosive police standoff with a suspect holed up in a nearby apartment. "We were right in the line of fire.
"Every show has its moments," he muses, "but I'm not usually worried about getting shot."
In the June 5th edition of the Vancouver edition of The Province, Rutter recieved a review of "Waiting Room" along side new releases by Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney,Big and Rich, Rihanna, Chris Cornell and Ashley Park. With releases by McCartney rated at B+, Rutter fiared not too badly with a rating of B. Here is the actual review:
Duane Rutter
Waiting Room (Busted Flat)
Rutter's a newcomer,sort of, from the Ontario tobacco belt who's been planning this debut since he quit the bar circuit 10 years ago. He writes classic sounding,deceptively simple country/folk tunes---he evidently likes Guy Clark a lot--- and has just the right singing and finger picking style to pull it all off.
"Rachel Sings" has a sweet, reflective feel to it while "Dead man" is decidedly gritty, urban stuff. He could change up the tempos and acoustic folksy '70s sound a bit more but otherwise, Rutter's a solid, welcome addition to the national scene.
John P McLaughlin
The Province (Vancouver edition)

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