ROOTS/BLUES/AMERICANA SINGER/GUITARIST MARSHALL RUFFIN, FRESHMAN RELEASE RICH MAN'S DIME OUT FEBRUARY 19th 2008
SPECIAL CD RELEASE SHOW SET MARCH 14th AT
THE LOFT LIVE IN COLUMBUS, GA
"AIN'T GONNA WORK" TO BE INCLUDED ON MUSIC IN COLUMBUS (MIC) COMPILATION CD, OUT IN MARCHLaGrange / Columbus, GA - Jammates Records announces the February 19th release date for
Rich Man's Dime, the label debut CD from Columbus, Georgia-based roots/blues/Americana singer and guitarist Marshall Ruffin. Musicians joining Ruffin on his freshman release include first-call Atlanta session bassist Joe Reda (upright, electric and fretless basses) and Sean O'Rourke (drums/percussion), recently off tour with Sugarland.
Ruffin will perform a special show for the CD's release Friday, March 14th at the Loft Live in uptown Columbus with a band backed by Paul Vaillancourt (drum/percussion) and Jason Lane (upright bass).
Marshall's song "Ain't Gonna Work" has been selected to be featured on the upcoming Music In Columbus (MIC) compilation CD. Ruffin will be recognized February 20th by MIC and an all-star Georgia music industry panel including Michele Caplinger [The Recording Academy] and Lisa Love [Georgia Music Magazine]. The MIC compilation CD is due out late in March.
Rich Man's Dime showcases Marshall Ruffin's main influences of roots and blues music, making for a compelling collection of classic Americana. The new EP features five original songs, all written by Ruffin and recorded at Hatch the Egg (formerly the Loft Studios) in Columbus, Georgia. The record was produced by Pat Patten, engineered by Steve Meadows, mastered by Paul Hammock, and with art direction and design by Coe Cloud.
The 23 year old musician grew up in typical Americana, but where science was at the fabric of the family not art. After finding a guitar in the attic during his high school years, Marshall began to teach himself to play. It was while attending college in Richmond, Virginia that he found his focus in the music department. After two years and on a leap of faith, Marshall applied and was accepted to the Berklee College of Music to finish his studies. During his Boston stay, Ruffin recognized and tapped into his songwriting and vocal gifts. There he also met Columbus resident and fellow-musician, Clayton Sanders. It was from his former classmate's encouragement that he decided to move south. "I connect with old blues music" comments Ruffin "and I feel a kindred spirit with Columbus, probably because it's the home of Ma Rainey."
Arriving in the summer of 2007, Ruffin played evening opening slots on The Loft Live stage for dozens of regional and national touring acts. Buddy Nelms [The Loft, Hatch the Egg and New Chris Records] knew Ruffin had something special and was eager to make the introduction to the Jammates team. "When Coe [Cloud] and I heard Marshall, we instantly knew he had "it", says Patten, "all we had to do then was hammer out the agreement details and get into the studio. We're going to be working really hard over the next couple of years to grow his fan-base and release some high quality music. It's especially nice that his songs are so smartly written -- they touch both young and older music fans."
Marshall Ruffin will tour the east coast in support of the release of
Rich Man's Dime before entering into the studio later this year to begin work on his first full featured recording. For more information on the Artist, visit
www.MarshallRuffin.com or
www.JammatesRecords.comRecent Openings: Shawn Mullins, Col. Bruce Hampton, Oliver Wood, Geoff Achison, Leah Randazzo, Big Atomic, Bobby Lee Rogers / Jeff Sipe.
Influences: Tom Waits, Django Reinhardt, Lead Belly, The Beatles, John Lee Hooker, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder.
Compared To: Ray LaMontagne, Jack Johnson, Jeff Buckley, Jim Bianco