Discovering an Artist: Alison Ruble

After a holiday party in December, Steve and I visit Trio's with friends. (Trio's is a jazz club in South Bend.) There's nothing like visiting a jazz club and feeling oh-so-sophisticated in my black dress and tamed tresses. We discover a treasure while we sharing a bottle of smooth wine: Alison Ruble. A lovely person dressed in a white dress introduces herself. She starts the set with a rendition of "My Favorite Things." Usually, I check out the drummer and the percussion set-up. Tonight I focus on the vocalist. What impresses me was this performer's persona. She thoroughly enjoys herself while singing and maintains a positive rapport with the bassist, percussionist, and pianist. She commands the stage in an assertive but not aggressive fashion. Before the ensemble takes a break, she mentions that she has CDs on sale during the break.

I wait until she returns from her break, and then I approach her on stage. A personable musician, she introduces herself. I introduce myself, and we talk for a few minutes. I asked her to autograph the CD for me. I thank her for the wonderful music and then sit down. Our group enjoys most of the second set. The group grew sleepy, so as we left, Alison waves to me. What a perfect way to end a nice evening: making a connection with another musician.

As I write the blog, I am listening to Alison Ruble's CD entitled Ashland. She covers jazz classics like Night and Day and Route 66. Besides her music, Alison's musical resume impresses me. She performed at Chicago's Green Mill and headlined the Chicago Jazz Festival. In addition to her musical repertoire, Alison Ruble is a visual artist with exhibits in Chicago.

Check out her website at http://alisonruble.com/