RUBY, RUBY, RUBY…

Fo the past few months, Brooklyn born trumpet player DAVE GUY has entertained us with a series of jazzy, soulful instrumental singles. Things like ‘Still Standing’, ‘Pinky Ring’, ‘I’ll Follow You’ and ‘7th Heaven’ had a beguiling charm  and we learned that Mr G, far from being a music biz newcomer, had  quite a CV. He’s worked with people like Lee Fields,  Sharon Jones and the Daps Kings, Lizzo, Pharrell, the Roots, the Menahan Street Band, Mark Ronson, Amy Winehouse  and the more eclectic Budos Band.

Those four singles heralded the horn man’s debut album – ‘Ruby’, – just released via Big Crown Records. The set’s a 12 tracker and offers a mix of laid back jazz chillers and tougher, funkier cuts. It was recorded at NY’s edgy Queens district at The Legendary Diamond Mine and was  produced by Homer Steinweiss and Nick Movshon, and features musical contributions from (amongst others) Leon Michels, Marco Benevent and Claire Cottrill.

The album opens with one of the singles, ‘with ‘7th Heaven’ which sets out the stall for what’s to come. It’s  energized  with tight beats though the BVs deliver an ethereal quality. In places it might remind you of the work of the Mizells, if just a little less polished. Different is ‘Footwork’ – a Latin dance number with intricate horn lines. ‘Diamond Encore’ is darker – more spiritual  like the otherworldly ‘Drony Boy’. The album closes with ‘Ruby’s Rubies’ for which the album (and we’re guessing here) could be  partly named. This is another laid back effort – little  more than Dave’s trumpet over a gentle, chilled soundscape.

We don’t know who Ruby is, but trumpet man Dave has lavished plenty of love on her via this collection. Out now via Big Crown.