Blog for Ruby Rudman

Barbies in Jail

2013-02-27T16:11:37-05:00

Oh my God! Barbies in Jail is getting back together. My partner in crime and music Wendy Ridgway came back into the fold after showing up at a Phat Barbie gig at the Pocket in Santa Cruz. We're going to be focusing on doing more original music, esp. from Wendy and myself -- we've got some great tunes that need to get out there and Barbies In Jail is the rocket that is going to take us there. whoohooo!!!!

November 13, 2009 Gig @ Bocci's Cellar

2009-11-16T17:35:05-05:00

This was a fun gig. It started out slow, with the first tune a minor blues NEIGHBOR, NEIGHBOR with one couple dancing. But the next tune a lot more people showed up and eventually packed the place. The dance floor was soon filled up. My friend Alexa showed up and sat in with the band. She sang BESUME MUCHO and another blues.

I looked over toward the Bocci' Ball court and who was sitting in the audience but JOHNNY FABULOUS and PAM HAWKINS. I invited Johnny up to play and sing. Then PAM HAWKINS did her thing. The crowd was pumped. What a show.

Then we returned and WENDY RIDGWAY also was in attendance and we diverted our usual swing/latin groove for a bit of funk groove. Wendy sang USE ME by Bill Withers, one of BARBIES IN JAIL tunes we used to do.

I also fulfilled request for Jimmy Reed;s YOU GOT ME RUNNIN'.

I felt in excellent voice and we did make some major cash, the best ever in my opinion -- too bad the happy hour gigs are going to take a break until the spring. Too cold and windy and damp back there on teh bocci ball court.

I'm looking forward to the next gig at Bocci's where I'm going to celebrate my birthday. -- also Bob Hathaway will be on that gig and we'll be rehearsing a new tune for a wedding we're doing in Carmel soon.

Holiday plans are in the making too!!!

August 11, 2009-my tummy hurts!

2009-08-11T18:39:38-04:00

This is a very special day -- although I woke up feeling very queasy -- this never happens to me. This situation got worse and I just couldn't figure it out. Then I looked at the calendar -- August 11, 2009. What significance does this date hold for me?

It's my daugther's birthday! How could I not remember that? In my narcisistic little world, I almost missed one of the most memorable days of my life. It was Grant Hospital in Chicago, Illinois and the year was 1968. The heat was sweltering, oppressive, humid, you really could hardly breathe unless you had A/C.

The Democratic Convention was in full swing and so were the policemen who were chasing demonstrators through my gangway. There were shots fired. It was 1:00 a.m. I couldn't sleep for all the noise ... and then it started. The pangs of pain that announced my little girl wanted to see the world.

Five hours later I was in the hospital and around noon she popped out. I couldn't hold her because they were taking her away to meet her adoptive parents. I was overwhelmed by instinctual mother love, and I serupticiously crept past the nursery late at night to see if I could figure out which one was my baby. The next minute I cried. Then I got angry. Then I cried some more.

After all the gorry details were worked out and I signed away my baby, I did actually get to hold her for a few minutes and to say goodbye. This was undoubtedly the worst day of my life and still remains in the top 3 along with parents passing away.

I moved away quickly and became a hippie in San Francisco, buying a one-way ticket -- And I became a full fledged bonafide professional musician and vocalist. I lived on the road, traveled all over Alaska, Canada, the U.S. and Europe and Africa. Every night I would be up there on the stage belting out rock n' roll, screaming at the top of my lungs, or the other more melancholy times a haunting ballad would choke me up and I could hardly sing. Years later my shrink told me it was my way of expressing my grief over my loss.

Flash ahead to January 2003. A letter arrives in the mail -- It's from the adoption agency in Illinois. And soon after I was speaking on the phone with my gurl, my Cynthia. She tells me I have four grandchildren. She married a musician, she's a singer, my grandkids are musicians and would I come to visit and meet the newest member of the family, Joshua who was going to be a year old in March.

I'm so glad I had a stomach ache today, and Happy Birthday Cynthia. I love you with all my heart.

Rubymom

Randall Kane passes away 7/26/09 or close to it

2009-07-28T19:49:29-04:00

Randall Kane was the originator of the hip club. His club was THE CATALYST in Santa Cruz, California. Coming to Santa Cruz in the early 1970s, the club was located on Front Street. I remember seeing a jazz duo in the small venue and being very impressed that you didn't often hear this caliber of jazz in such a small town.

Randall Kane promoted rock n' roll. He loved "far-out" art and commissioned artists to paint their wild landscapes on the walls. If you wanted to see a major label rock act, The Catalyst was the place to be.

Many years later Randall purchased an old bowling alley on Pacific Street and renovated it. The New Catalyst was born. The place was huge! There is an atrium filled with living plants and trees with skylights to nourish those plantings. The bar boasted a large assortment of beers from all over the world. The deli had affordable and nutritious food like steamed artichokes with a side of mayo for about what you get a cup of coffee nowadays. The soup was great.

Walking to the back (where the old bowling alley used to be), the room opened up into a huge hall with major stage. There were all sorts of heavy lights and even a Hammond B3 suspended above the stage, ever ready to be slowly lwoered to the stage for any band with an organ player this was the best! Especially since you didn't have to haul in your own B3!

There was also upstairs lofts which flanked each side giving the patron a birds eye view of the stage. And if you were up on the right side loft, the stairs poured out right next to the stage. You could see your favorite musician just inches away workin' their magic.

It was very reminescent of Bill Graham's Fillmore and Winterland ballrooms up in San Francisco. It was the same vibe. -- the sweet smell of cannibis smoke filled the area near the front of the stage. People danced and twirled as the lights poured down on them and the music washed over them.

Some years ago Randall decided to hand over his operation to a consortium -- they changed everything -- the deli turned into a pizza joint (no more artichokes, eah!) and the whole vibe changed. Up until about 4 or 5 years ago, it was a regular stop on Friday happy hour to go to the "Cat" and hear Wally's Swing World, the atrium packed to the gills and we would hang out in the back adn drink martinis with Randall.

I'll miss you Randall ... But can't wait to see what's goin' down on the other side.
luv U more.