January, 2010
After eight years of being based in Spain, I've returned to Vancouver, Canada. I feel incredibly fortunate to be a citizen of two such diverse yet equally privileged countries.
I'm excited about the upcoming release of a project I've been savouring for a long time: songs I wrote in Málaga, Spain. Recorded in the studio of my talented cousin Terry Tobin, I got to play my new custom Jeff Sigurdson flamenco guitar (thanks Jeff, beautiful work). Playing with me is Cuban bassist Daniel Cardenas, Cuban percussionist Jose "El Jose" Sanchez, and Columbian guitarist Cesar Rojas, who added some guitar solos on a few tracks. It's an acoustic festival of flamenco, Latin and pop influences: Spain meeting Latin America in Canada. That's just the way it came to me, the way it went down, and will soon be out to share. |
Nancy Ruth, Jose Sanchez, T.W. Tobin, and Daniel Cardenas |
¡Olé Málaga! Doy las gracias a mi familia malagueña y mis amistades en España por inspirarme, cuidarme y quererme... os echo mucho de menos, espero que nos veamos pronto... |
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October 2009
2009 started at my home in Málaga, Spain. I spent my days going to the market, trying new recipes estilo andaluz, and between peeling artichokes and eating too many olives, I'd record the melodies that came to me. The sound of the Mediterranean outside my terrace and the constant chatter of passers by looking for the best fresh fish of the day kept me company during an otherwise solitary winter. Such times are creatively fruitful though, and my weekly flamenco guitar lessons with Gabriel Cabrera kept me busy practicing bulerías, tangos and siguiriyas... olé!
Spring took me on a five week tour of Belgium and Holland for the Home of Jazz label. As always it was great to see my friends and colleagues there, and to enjoy the fine hospitality and professionalism offered toward touring musicians. Thank you!
I returned to Málaga to spend time with my familia malagueña Isa and Manolo and sons, who so generously include me as part of the family, and also my friend Ana Luisi, a great cantaora flamenca, who invited me to join in some juergas (flamenco jams) in Torrox. I got a kick out of the reaction of the locals when I started playing; they'd never heard of a foreign woman playing the flamenco guitar. I always feel privileged to hang out and play with authentic Flamencos... gracias a todos.
It had been quite a while since I'd been back in Canada, so I spent the summer in Victoria. As well as catching up with friends and family, I enjoyed doing concerts at Hermann's Jazz Club, the Latin Festival in Centennial Square, The Sooke Folk Music Society and a house concert in Vancouver. I've found some great Latin musicians here to work with, and have been speaking more Spanish than English... ¡me encanta!
This fall I will record some of those little songs I wrote between meals in Malaga; espero que os gustéis... |
The view from my home in Malaga
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September 2008
THE MAKING OF 'ME QUEDO'
Wow, it's almost here. I'm really excited about this new CD because it's been such a long time coming, and when we finally recorded it, I thought, this is how it's supposed to be. I began writing songs with Mick de Boer, Isa L. Martín and Jean Louis Van Dam years ago, not because we needed songs for an album, but rather because we felt them urging us to give them life. When the impulse to write comes from a place of yearning, or to confess a great joy, the songs flow and take on a life of their own. What a great feeling it is to hear them now, as if they've always been there. |
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I've long been seduced by the sumptuous melodies of the boleros of Latin America, and most certainly by the urgency and passion of flamenco. My love affair with the Spanish language is no secret, and the time I've spent living in Spain has taught me how to just be, and to let things happen. Happen they did; producer/ bassist/ composer Mick de Boer proposed the idea of recording some of our songs with the brilliant pianist/arranger Jean Louis Van Dam, and soon after, Adrie Hoogland of Home of Jazz signed us to his new label.
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We recorded in March of 2008, at Pro Music Studios, Netherlands. I proposed the songlist: 3 songs I'd written with Mick, one I'd written in Spain with my lyricist friend Isa L. Martín, another that Jean Louis and I came up while we were kidding around at a rehearsal, and a beautiful bolero that was written for me by the famed composer Toño Robira in Panama. The rest were some of my favourite boleros. Jean Louis wrote the arrangements, then he and Mick introduced me to a fantastic percussionist named Jeroen Molenaar. |
Producer/composer/bassist
Mick de Boer |
Producer/composer/arranger/pianist Jean Louis Van Dam |
The four of us clicked immediately, and from there the recording process was inspired, relaxed and a lot of fun. Pieter Nanne brought artistry to the guitar tracks, Paul Poulissen came by with his customary blend of humour and passion as he put down some great trumpet tracks, and Johan Vermuyen seemingly dropped out of the sky with the most beautiful clarinet melodies I've ever heard. Studio owner Richard Poot engineered with incredible focus and a wonderfully supportive atmosphere for us to create in.
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Guitarist Pieter Nanne |
Engineer Richard Poot of Pro Music Studios, The Netherlands
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Some things are just meant to be, and for me this CD proves that old cliché to be true. It marks the beginning of a new era in my career, and I can't wait to start our European tour in September 2008.
Nancy Ruth, June 2008. |
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Percussionist Jeroen Molenaar |
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