An Ounce of The Dead Mixed With A Pinch of Roger Miller and Stand Back….

It’s a Sunday afternoon and I am sliding through some artists I haven’t listened to in ages: there’s Hot Tuna, some solo albums from both Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady, there’s The Fifth Avenue Band with their brilliant “Fast Freight,” and then there’s the glory of the old Goose Creek Symphony. I went through a half dozen Little Feat albums, Seatrain and their classic “Rondo,” featuring violinist Richard Greene. There’s an obscure singer-songwriter who had help back in the early 70’s from Jackson Browne and Linda Ronstadt on his brilliant “Tom Thumb the Dreamer,” album – Michael Dinner, and from that album the terrific “Apple Annie,” and “Pale Fire” still sound powerful. So many incredible tunes by marvelous musicians and with thrilling performances.

So as fate would have it, I put them all away convinced that in this day and age the quality of that kind of music was tucked away in another era. But, then I had work to do.

I pulled this new CD from my ever growing pile of potential greats and decided it was time to give independent artist Joe Rut a spin. OK, the name doesn’t ring in the ears as powerful as an Elvis Presley, or as cool as say, Jerry Garcia or John Sebastian but, I like to give everyone a chance. At least his name isn’t Joe Dirt. Some kind of potential must be brewing between those letters in his name. The CD art does need some work – and I start off with that criticism for one very important reason. The music contained in this collection by Joe Rut – “Stolen Tools and Stereos,” is worlds away better than the cover art. I have it playing in the background as a first run through, and the music has meat and potatoes. Oh yeah.

My head is still reeling with all that great music I mentioned listenining to before Joe Rut came on and miraculously this 2016 recording starts to spills generous amounts of brilliant Americana-Country-Roots music from the very same speakers that originally splashed Little Feat. What is going on? It’s like an ugly looking chicken with all the trimmings and once it’s cooked and carved it turns out to taste like one of the best birds you could possibly sink your teeth into. That’s what I’ve found here. A musical cuisine.

It’s Boone Farm apple wine, it’s Tampa Red and Acapulco Gold, it’s a salami and provolone hero on hard Italian bread with oil and vinegar, it’s a cherry syrup cheese cake, it’s a big fat Maduro cigar with a glass of brandy. Anyone who enjoys the Grateful Dead, Little Feat, Hot Tuna, Seatrain, and I am going to mention dozens of others in my text – Joe Rut is that missing bolt in the ragged body of traditional Americana music. It has all the ingriedients necessary for a nostalgic smile that would be worn on the faces of Jerry Garcia, Casady, Kaukonen, Pure Prairie League, Guy Clark, and Townes Van Zandt. They would all be gracious in welcoming this young man to the tattered carpet stage.

The twelve-song album kicks off with a sprightly mandolin opening on “Sleepy Rain.” Rut — accompanied by none other than David Grisman (Jerry Garcia, Old and In the Way, Earth Opera), provides the tune with a drive on a pure gravel road of wood smoke, barbecue and moonshine. Bobby Black lays down pedal steel like he’s polishing a T-bird. Heather Davidson is on backup vocals with Val Esway and John Hanes provides the drums with Vicki Randle on percussion. The band is essentially first class along with Dave Jess’ solid bass and Steve Lucky’s smooth keyboards. I can’t express how tight this unit is on this marvelous opener.

Rut has a nice Grateful Dead-type vocal that percolates and he has captured, with these people in tow, the essence of where The Dead could have been had they persevered. There is no imitation going on here. No, this is a clean, high sheen ideal in the family of sound that was the Grateful Dead and all it’s musical followers. However, there is little wild jamming and experimentation. Joe Rut has a map he follows and he sticks to it with enough looseness to keep his music ear-friendly and with just enough mash to tug a smile from both ends of your mouth.

“I Love My Memory,” is a little more humorous in execution and not one of Joe’s better songs. Nonetheless, what it does have is one hell of a cooking instrumental conclusion worth listening to. The musicianship is sharp and melodic. Rut’s voice is no longer in the Grateful Dead mode though. The guitar work out, as the song proceeds, is dynamic in the tradition of the Dead. This is about as close to a jam as you will get on this collection. The instrumental sparks and smokes with chiming notes being fired out of the speakers. Need something that’s just delightful with no heavy lifting? I give you “I Love My Memory.” 

“Black Velvet Elvis,” is borderline novelty — but it does continue with bright chiming guitars and Rut, while not criticizing Elvis, does criticize the cheapness of how Presley’s memory is often displayed. Rut’s humor is evident and is never disrespectful. Vocally, Joe comes off sounding a little like he took a page from The Texas Tornados with Doug Sahm and Freddy Fender with excellent results. What appears as filler in a song title turns out to be quite a good, faithful song.

Joe Rut has a voice that straddles many styles and genres, and while he has moments where he may remind one of another singer, another band, his approach tip toes around a tight originality and his methodology as applied to his musicianship and original songs is crafty and well arranged. Nothing, despite the swipes of humor, renders any of his material as novelty songs. This takes talent and some backwoods wisdom. This is a collection of songs by a serious, well-polished musician with support from some stellar players.

“8 A.M. 5^th of July,” while a little more commercial-oriented has some nice retro guitars mixed up front and with a heavy sweet sound. “Drunk Dial,” has a genuinely nice Roger Miller feel to the story and rendering.

I am not talking about the novelty Miller of “Dang Me,” and “Chug-a-lug,” but, the serious country singer-songwriter who composed the brilliant “River in the Rain,” – available on YouTube for preview (which I would really love to hear Joe Rut cover. It sounds like something that was tailored for Joe. It’s poignant, powerful and Rut has the abilities. It’s one of the late Roger Miller’s brilliant classics that so few people even know exists). With the absence of Miller now, Rut has the coolness and humor that is necessary to tap into an audience waiting for another Roger Miller type. That thought coupled with his Grateful Dead pedigree would be something. This time around, no novelty, but humor spiced with poignancy. Let me say that again, “humor spiced with poignancy.” That’s Rut’s forte whether he is aware of it or not. He has cornered the market already.

“Heartbirddream,” opens with some banjo and Rut’s vocal is reminiscent of Greg Trooper’s when he sang the incredible “I Can’t Search for You Anymore.” This Joe Rut song is a beautiful song – the deep banjo strings adds so much resonance and Val Esway’s vocal adds color and jubilance. This is one of the highlights in a collection of many excellent songs. Rocker “Magic Monkey,” offers Rut a chance to burn the barn and this tune is a scorcher.

Nice old style rock and roll piano by Steve Lucky drives this tune with assurance and drummer Scott Amendola hammers away with a nice straight beat and thunderous fills. Joe doesn’t sound like The Grateful Dead here, because this is all Joe Rut vocally and this will get the dancers shoes smoking.

Continuing with a steady sophisticated rock beat “You’re The Porcupine For Me,” (see what I mean by Roger Miller influence?) — features some solid Goose Creek Symphony type instrumental attack. Winding guitars, crisp percussion, and pedal steel. Rut’s vocal is Joe in his own domain. There’s a ring of Marty Stuart power in his tone, and it’s a confident performance.

Getting a little closer to a pure country vein, “Inscribing My Initials,” has the tradition of 1960’s Jerry Lee Lewis piano by Steve Lucky with some retro female vocals that are smooth as butter on white bread. Surrounded by pedal steel, and so many other little instrumental pieces the song is a watercolor painting of sound. This has commercial viability written all over it. Typical jukebox confection. Love it. Turn it up. Play it again.

A nice heavy intro and “Bodfish Blues,” features Jason Kleinberg’s full-sounding fiddle and Joe Rut has found his style. Very few similar sounding vocals, Joe is entrenched in a solid performance that is all his own. His vocals are Americana-sincere. On this song, he has just enough of that raw vocal that is so appealing in much of today’s outlaw singers – Buddy Miller, Otis Taylor, Jon Dee Graham, Gene Ryder, Gene Watson etc… This is a great track, lots of vim and vinegar with sharp drum snaps. The kind of song that Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings would have fought over. Joe Rut would have fit nicely with those country gentlemen had he the opportunity. “…. good clean dirt on my hands.” (Would have been a good title for an album too….).

Final track “Love Street in My Mind,” takes another sharp turn. Slow, poignant (there’s that word again), and something the legendary George Jones would have appreciated. Beautiful pedal steel, percussion and drums. The entire mood of the song, in its tenderness and sophistication, is imbued with a classic in the making. It sounds like a song that continues in the vein of two previous similar titled songs: The first by The Doors – called “Love Street,” and later by a rock singer named Steve Swindells who wrote another deep, powerful tale called “Down on Love Street,” – from his “Fresh Blood,” album. Whether it was intentional or not, all three of these songs seem to hold together as a unit. If I were a disc jockey, I would start with The Doors, segue into Swindells’ and conclude warmly with Joe Rut’s song.

I like this guy.

Joe Rut has something to say and he communicates it with a musical assurance and along with him are some of the best sounding musicians I’ve heard in ages. His investment in their talent is in the “grooves” of these melodies. So, take 20% of The Band, 40% of The Grateful Dead and 25% of Roger Miller and the remaining percentage of any of the previously mentioned artists and Joe Rut forms before your eyes.

This is where so many traditions and genres that have slowly started to disappear actually still reside. It resides with the reliable musicians who play with storytellers like Joe Rut who not only keeps the genre alive – he pumps liberal amounts of musical vitamins into it. Let the music speak for itself…that’s what Joe does.

The CD package needs work.

The music contained herein deserves better representation. It needs to closer represent what is enclosed and has been sweated over. Joe has the look – he needs to get outside among some autumn leaves and get a photo session dressed up like The Band in their rustic fedoras, long black coats, vests and rural décor. Get a rusty truck, get some old American flag up on the wall, paint a stack of old truck tires red, white and blue, bottles of half-empty whiskey, a ragged, old suitcase with a duct taped handle and “stolen tools & stereos” printed on it. Sprinkle some roots and twigs on the musician’s shoulders and have a pretty girl off in the distance wearing a peasant blouse staring suspiciously. Oh yeah…set the mood for the twelve songs and half the battle is won. You want the shopper to see that art and say “hey, I wonder what the music on this CD sounds like….I better buy one….”

The album was produced excellently by Steve Jarvis, Dave Lichtenstein and Joe Rut with all songs written by Joe. There are no photography credits on the album jacket.

Website: http://www.joerut.com/

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/joe.rut.7

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this review / commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of No Depression. All photography is owned by the respective photographers and is their copyrighted image; credited where photographer’s name was known & being used here solely as reference and will be removed on request. YouTube images are standard YouTube license.

John Apice / No Depression / March 2017