Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Kama Ruby: Rock Dreams in Jazz

Kama Ruby: Rock Dreams in Jazz

By C. Michael Bailey
November 2, 2015
Sign in to view read count

Track review of "Nature Boy"

Vocalist Kama Ruby's sophomore effort Rock Dreams in Jazz is closeted in the respect that it contains only two rock songs among some sturdy jazz standards. The Eagles' "Hotel California" and Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon/Sister of the Moon" represent the promise of a set of "new" standards among the old. As provocative as they are, these newer songs do not come close to the transformation Ruby brings to "Embraceable You" and "Nature Boy."

This is not your parent's Nat King Cole "Nature Boy." This is a Samuel Taylor Coleridge opium dream setting for Eden Ahbez' warhorse composition. Jeff Rosburgh provides an airy cushion with an electric piano, a cushion exacerbated by Mark Meyer's breathy clarinet. Ruby's delivery measured and languid, like Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz singing cabaret in the "pirate city" of Mos Eisley on the planet Tatooine (Star Wars (20th Century Fox, 1977)). Her voice is seductive and beguiling, stealing the show in the piece. Her "Embraceable You" is as out-of-this-world also.

Personnel

Kama Ruby

Kama Ruby: vocals; Jeff Rosburgh: piano; Glen Fong: bass; Mark Meyer: clarinet.

Album information

Title: Rock Dreams in Jazz | Year Released: 2015 | Record Label: Self Produced

< Previous
Home Away From Home

Next >
Silent Songs: Introducing Ruben Macht...

Comments

About Kama Ruby

Tags

For the Love of Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help

To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.