Bluegrass has always had a large family element to it. From sitting around picking with friends and relatives to packing the clan into the camper for a weekend festival, it’s frequently a multi-generational activity. That’s as true today as it was fifty years ago–witness the story behind Colorado duet/band, Ruby Joyful. Co-founder Dan Rubinoff lived on the same street as Leftover Salmon’s mandolin player Drew Emmitt and they sometimes jammed together, in addition to the parenting thing. Now, Emmitt and his son Eli, on guitar, are a prominent part of Rubinoff and life-partner Joice Moore’s debut album, The Pie Chart of Love.
There’s a thread of sly humor throughout the record, beginning with opener 10 to 1 Love Wins, featuring the Emmitts and fiddle icon Stuart Duncan. Another progressive bluegrass number is All My Friends Got More Money Than Me. Rubinoff comments that, “this is a true story. Everyone in the audience thinks it’s their song.” In what might be the song title of the year, How My Lil’ Punk Girl Fell In Love With John Prine is more of a singer-songwriter piece, with a touch of country by way of pedal steel. It’s a fictitious story, but has its roots in Joice not being familiar with Prine when she met Dan.
The record also pays its tributes to the traditional. One Long Truth is an old-fashioned bluegrass tune, featuring Salmon banjoist Andy Thorn, about good intentions turning bad. Fiddler’s Lament has a touch of Irish sea chanty to it, but comes from an experience in the Rockies. In addition to having Duncan on fiddle again it also showcases Rob Ickes on dobro. Gonna Be Great is more of a folk song than anything grassy. It’s an ode to the seduction of getting what you want with no effort or cost, and to the politicians who ply the premise without regard for consequence. Take What You Will also treads the path of always taking, but pleads to “remember to give it all back at the end of the day”. It’s back to the progressive vein, with an extended vamp of traditional style in the middle.
Thanks in no small part to Thorn and the Emmits and their all-star friends, the debut album from Ruby Joyful feels like anything but a first effort. It’s toe-tapping, sing-along-with-the-chorus throughout, with enough extended jams to be as festival friendly as it is danceable. Or maybe twirl-able if that’s your preference. Either way, The Pie Chart of Love is an extra fine start to the summer music season.
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.