Dave Guy: Ruby
For a player with such a stacked résumé, Dave Guy’s highly anticipated debut album evokes a very sensible response: “It’s about time!” The New York-based trumpeter has refined his sound over the years playing with the likes of Mark Ronson, Pharrell, Al Green, Amy Winehouse, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Antibalas, Charles Bradley and more. These days, you can catch him with The Roots on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. But he hasn’t dropped a project under his own name until now—and the 12-track Ruby was worth the wait. The record is full of bold and brassy jazz fusion that could fit easily into a multitude of playlists. Looking for a heavy-funk throwdown? Listen to Guy tear a hole in the sky on “Diamond Encore.” Prefer a lighter, airier float into a jazzy daydream? Turn your attention to “Quesodillas.” Want an atmospheric, ambient composition to ride off into the sunset? Closer “Ruby’s Rubies” is your jam. The unifying thread here isn’t necessarily Guy’s horn—it is the steadily plodding percussive backbone of live drum kit and pummeling bass. That’s the sound that begins the record on lead single “7th Heaven,” and it’s on top of this platform that Guy’s able to flex his gorgeous, powerful chops. The steady funk march of “7th Heaven” breaks for little, dreamy interludes featuring indie-pop singer Clairo cooing along, as if she’s coaxing Guy to blast a bit higher into the heavens. On “I’ll Follow You,” Guy’s trumpet melody feels slippery and fluid atop the rhythm section, flowing in and out of focus before his clarion tone pierces the haze. It feels like sunshine, recorded. It’s not a given that a career side man can step into the spotlight and pull together a project this enjoyable, but Guy proves himself many times over with Ruby.
