DOO-WOP TWANG: Melissa Ruth is a classically trained musician with back-porch sensibility. At once literary and soulful, charming and heartbreaking, Ruth and sideman Johnny Leal create music that is both down-home intimate and downtown immediate.
Growing up in rural British Columbia, Melissa Ruth was raised on a balanced diet of borscht and Bob Dylan. As a teenager she studied classical flute and eventually earned a BA in music performance and education.
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DOO-WOP TWANG: Melissa Ruth is a classically trained musician with back-porch sensibility. At once literary and soulful, charming and heartbreaking, Ruth and sideman Johnny Leal create music that is both down-home intimate and downtown immediate.
Growing up in rural British Columbia, Melissa Ruth was raised on a balanced diet of borscht and Bob Dylan. As a teenager she studied classical flute and eventually earned a BA in music performance and education.
As an undergrad studying classical music by day, by night Melissa was active in the underground folk scene. Her experiences were well-documented and in July of 2008, Ruth released her debut album “Underwater and Other Places.” The record chronicles her earliest songs, most of which were written before she was 21. Melissa and producer Hank Alrich (Armadillo Music) took a no holds barred approach to the record. Over the course of a few days, Ruth and her band recorded all 10 tracks live in one room with no over-dubs or re-takes. The resulting work maintains a raw touch, unencumbered by heavy production and without a hint of compromise. This approach caught the attention of music critic Nancy Dunham who said "Ruth knows a good story doesn’t need a lot of slick production and elaborate instrumentation to shine; the song can stand on its own merits..... Underwater and Other Places shows that this classically trained musician has the skills and creativity to join the ranks of superb folk artists."
In 2008, Melissa began performing with her husband Johnny Leal as an acoustic folk duo. As they toured the American west each summer and regionally during the school year, Ruth and Leal cultivated a sound that they called "Homegrown Folk-Sass." Johnny lent to the duo much of their diversity of sound as he played guitar, mandolin, ukulele, and kazoo at almost every show.
For her second studio effort, Ain't No Whiskey, Melissa turned to Johnny and his brother, drummer Jimmy Leal. Out of those recording sessions, Melissa Ruth and the Likely Stories was born as the trio worked closely and collaboratively to arrange all of the songs on the 9-track album. Ain't No Whiskey is set to be released Fall 2011. The album explores themes of separation and satisfaction as Ruth and the Leal brothers draw on their musical backgrounds in blues, jazz, and folk.
Melissa began working as a full-time music teacher near Eugene, Oregon in 2006. For the last 5 years she has served as her school district's music director and teaches music to children K-12th grade.
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…shrink me down again
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