Blue Rubies are three women (Cindy Dell, Jen Ryckman, Judi Rideout) from the shores of Lake Erie who met over wine and song at an open mic a few years ago. After a few sessions they decided to put together some stand-out, three-part harmonies and wrote some roots/blues back-to-basics songs with a twist. They sing about small town life, love, tilt-a-whirls, and teenage runaways. Playing bass, guitar, mandolin, fiddle and harmonica, the Rubies (also known as the Redheads) share vocal roles, taking turns singing lead and harmony. 'Blue' (Johnny Frame) joins them on guitar and mandolin. In June of 2005 they released their debut CD entitled HOME GROUND which was engineered by Rod Phelan in St. Catharines, Ontario and produced by Johnny Frame (aka 'Blue'). Guest musicians included Denis Rondeau on double bass, Keith Shaw on harmonica, and Mark Clifford on slide guitar. The CD contains songs written by the Blue Rubies and friends (Sue Sweetman wrote 'Lucy', Stephen Hogg wrote 'Give It All to You') and one cut is a Michele Shocked song: When I Grow Up sang by Judi. Their music gives the listener the feeling of sitting out on a tidy, yet cosy front porch; homey, friendly, welcoming, with a fresh coat of paint.
In Blue Rubies Cindy Dell plays guitar, fiddle, and harmonica. Born in, and raised all over Ontario, Cindy had rural beginnings in a musical family. Both parents were piano teachers and Cindy and her sisters received classical training in violin, cello, and piano at a young age. At 13 Cindy bought herself a guitar and started to write songs. She picked up the bass along the way and was a founding member of the all-girl band, Tin Angel, in Toronto who went on to be signed to Atlantic Records in New York with producer Jack Douglas. Their self-titled album was released world-wide and received airplay all over the planet. Since then, Cindy has been making music from Miami to New York to southern Ontario on her own and with various bands including Blue Rubies, Shindig, Janes Street, Dell, Ross, & Ovington, The Baladins, Blame it On Yoko, Otter Creek, and Girl Talk. She has four independent releases out on CD. www.myspace.com/cindydell
Judi Rideout has played bass and guitar and sang around southern Ontario for many years with Shindig, Toots and Driver, Rideout and Shaw, and the Swinging Johnsons. Her influences include Tom Waits, Gillian Welch and Marcia Ball. In Blue Rubies Judi plays bass and guitar and sings lead and harmony.
Jen Ryckman grew up listening to classic rock and making music with songwriter/musician/father Elvin Ryckman and mother/musican Pat. In Blue Rubies Jen plays mandolin and the suitcase and has a powerful bluesy voice. She also sings with The Cutters who have a self-titled CD out that has received play on internet radio. She cites (one of) her main musical influences as Neil Young. (Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles...)
www.blue-rubies.com
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