PAMELA RUBY RUSSELL

Artist Information

Biography

PAMELA RUBY RUSSELL & THE HIGHWAY OF DREAMS BAND
Her Songs and Photographs Along The Way

EMAIL: Highwayofdreams@gmail.com
CD WEBSITE: www.cdbaby.com/rubytunes

“Life’s an adventure that goes by fast.
Life's very short but your dreams will last...
How we’ll fly!

This wild woman artist generously shares her stories, photography and her “Americana Pop” songs with you!

BOSTON, MA Mark Baxter, vocal coach to Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, Goo Goo Doll’s John Rzeznik, Amiee Mann, plus many other respected contemporary artists, says, “HIGHWAY OF DREAMS is a journey into Pamela Ruby Russell's technicolor dreams. Exotic, lush, intimate, passionate & fun! A joy to listen to from beginning to end."

Mark echoes feelings voiced by her appreciative audiences. An Indie songwriter-recording artist born in New York City, Pamela settled in Boston, studied music with Dante Pavone, Mark Baxter, pianist Mike Dooner and participated in master classes including the amazing “On Spontaneity” seminar by famed pianist, Keith Jarrett. Performance venues include: NYC's revered LaMama Galleria; Boston’s infamous Rat; Kendall Cafe, Borders’ Downtown Books & Music Store, the Milky Way, Boston City Hall’s ‘Plaza Performing Artist Series’ and ‘Plantings In the Parks; Newburyport’s ‘Yankee Homecoming’ Festival; Martha’s Vineyard’s Wintertide Cafe; Passim's, the Middle East, Jack's and Ryle's in Cambridge, MA; Trenton NJ’s Avant Garde Festival; Rob Roy’s in LA, CA; Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; Martinique, FWI, and France. WCVB-5 TV's Peter Mehegan interviewed Ms. Ruby on the popular newszine, Chronicle. A community and political activist for most of her adult life, Pamela has performed at MoveOn.org’s Boston concert and the 2004 People’s Party during the National Democratic Convention. She has also served as an elected Neighborhood Council member in Boston, and a delegate to several state Democratic conventions. Besides marketing and performing her songs, Pamela is delving into the mediums of photography and film-making as there are a few other wild women in her family whose stories need telling.

Complementing her many achievements, including two time Billboard Song Contest award winner and Featured Local Artist on Boston’s WBCN, Ms. Ruby can also be seen on the weekly New England Cable TV program, “About The Arts.” Created to provide visibility of New England artists, “About The Arts” goes behind the scenes with this engaging and passionate woman, from a rehearsal with her HIGHWAY OF DREAMS band, a session with her long time vocal coach, Mark Baxter, to an interview in which she shares poignant personal memories and performs solo on her hundred and twenty year old piano.

Her CD, HIGHWAY OF DREAMS, self-produced, along with guitarist Peter Calo (records/performs with Carly Simon, Linda Eder & Broadway’s “Hairspray”) with backing vocals by Robert Holmes (guitarist/writer/vocalist - Ultra Blue & Aimee Mann’s 'til Tuesday), includes musicians from nine different countries. Pamela’s lyrics and melodies are a welcome gift, flowing from her many incarnations as: performer/producer/band manager, vocal coach; political/community activist; writer, photographer and budding film maker; Mexican circus elephant rider; cantina Tarot card reader; jewelry designer and poet in the French West Indies; Cape Cod restaurateur; and, last but not least, singing alone at midnight atop a sacred Mexican temple on Aug. 15, 1987, eve of the Harmonic Convergence! Her song, “Avenue of Tears” is about that amazingly magical night. Ask her about it sometime!

"There are common truths. You and I are not strangers. It is through the creation, teaching and sharing of honest thoughts and art that long lasting, meaningful connections are made and communication between people is possible. Making music and photographs that uplift, empassion and heal is what I strive for. Life is short and sometimes deals us not so easy cards. It is the playing of those challenging hands, wisely and with kindness, that helps us overcome and move through our time on this planet with grace, in a more profound and useful way. It is about joy! With all I’ve seen in this bizarre, wonderful life, what I’ve learned must be worth sharing! That’s why I sing, why I live!" she adds. Pamela has dedicated her life, time and energy to these principles.

HIGHWAY OF DREAMS is available at: www.cdbaby.com/Rubytunes, iTunes and most other online digital music stores as downloads as well as CD's. Ms. Ruby may be contacted at: Highwayofdreams@gmail.com and through: www.cdbaby.com/rubytunes as well as at www.SonicBids.com/pamelarubyrussell. An updated website is in the works.

NOTE: Radio testing research of the Highway of Dreams CD was done within Commercial Mainstream and Modern Radio markets by Loggins Public Relations, Inc., LA, CA. Participating stations: NMW, Billboard, FM Quarterback, R & R and Gavin commercially reporting stations. Five songs on the CD have received “very strong recommendations as potential standards for target audiences.”

Instrumentation

Kai Olsson - Vocals, Guitar, Co-Producer

Discography

"LIVE BABY" - Goddess Within (Artists For Change Compilation) (Single) 2004
"BOXCAR" - MoveOn.org Benefit Concert Compilation at the Milky Way - Boston MA (Single) 2004
"HIGHWAY OF DREAMS" - 10 Song Indie Release. Co-produced with Peter Calo (LP) 2001
"MOONLIGHT LOVERS" - (Pamela's Touch Memory Band) Co-written & Co-produced with Richard Viard (LP) 1995
(Single)

Links

• Pamela Ruby Russell and Her Highway of Dreams CD

Audio

• Boxcar
  Listen  
• Live Baby (Let's Live)
  Listen  
• Make You Cry
  Listen  
• Almost Gave My Heart Away
  Listen  
• Tengo Razon [Reason to Live]
  Listen  
• Avenue of Tears
  Listen  
• Is There Any Love?
  Listen  
• Sounds of The Sea
  Listen  
• Walk Thru Fire
  Listen  
• Highway of Dreams
  Listen  

Lyrics

• Boxcar
• Live Baby (Let's Live)
• Make You Cry
• Avenue of Tears
• Almost Gave My Heart Away
• Tengo Razon
• Sounds of The Sea
• Highway Of Dreams
• Think About It

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• AF COLLECTIVE CONTEST RESULTS [+ Show ]
  

  JUDGES COMMENTS Spring 2009 Artist: PAMELA RUBY RUSSELL's "HIGHWAY OF DREAMS" CD ...JUDGES COMMENTS
  Spring 2009
  
  Artist: PAMELA RUBY RUSSELL's
  "HIGHWAY OF DREAMS" CD
  Produced By Pamela Ruby Russell and Peter Calo
  
  Status: Finalist
  
  “A wide open roots-inflected sound with a vocal sound that hovers over it all. Artist gives the band plenty of room and they make good, empathetic use of the space. There’s an attractive positivity here, a genuine charm and a sense that the artist is reaching out to the listener. Make You Cry is a good example of this. As an aside, some lovely welcoming intros here, a true art in itself..”
  
  “Interesting vocal range!!”
  
  “Boxcar is lyrically very good, the vocals are what stand out for me for Pamela. Walk through Fire was very mysterious sounding, with a real enchanting vocal; I'm really a fan of Pamela. Musically excellent.”
  
  “Beautifully crafted songs great arrangements and a beautifully mature voice Superb”
  
  “Sincere lyrics, interesting mixture of styles and tempi, would suggest shorter intros”
  
  “Fantastic variation of instrumentation from excellent band keeping interest in each new song with strings, sax and accordion coming in as extras to keep you guessing.”
  
  “Nice diversity of songwriting/arranging, and after reading the bio I can see why!”
  
  “PRR has an aerie kind of voice, almost mythical, as she sings often of loss. There is a lilting hint of Celtic in there, with the fiddles and other strings. One of my fave cuts is “Make You Cry.” The guitarist, Peter Calo, is someone I admire for both is solo work, and collaborations with Mary Gatchell. But I digress…”
  
  “interesting experimentation”
  

• HIGHWAY OF DREAMS [+ Show ]
  

  PAMELA RUBY RUSSELL "HIGHWAY OF DREAMS" 10 SONG CD CO-PRODUCED BY: PAMELA RUBY RUSSELL & P...PAMELA RUBY RUSSELL
  "HIGHWAY OF DREAMS"
  
  10 SONG CD
  CO-PRODUCED BY:
  PAMELA RUBY RUSSELL &
  PETER CALO
  
  ALL MUSIC GUIDE REVIEW
  WRITTEN BY:
  JOE VIGLIONE
  "Tengo Razon," a beautiful essay, is sung in Spanish, embellished by Evan Harlan's accordion, which is on four of the ten tracks that embody Highway of Dreams by Bostonian Pamela Ruby Russell. An album that boasts Carly Simon guitarist and arranger Peter Calo playing numerous instruments and co-producing, 'Til Tuesday guitarist Robert Holmes, and others finds incredible unity and a truly original sound. "Avenue of Tears" combines these talents for a rather complex presence behind Russell's dominant voice. The pan flutes and charango of Roberto Cachimuel play along the dirge-like guitar. Imagine Black Sabbath getting subdued and backing Marianne Faithfull. Comparisons will also be made to Loreena McKennitt, with lots of haunting keyboards, voices, and flutes finding their way into these folk-rock arrangements. Calo is a formidable talent, and he brings so much out of Russell -- the party atmosphere of "Is There Any Love" takes the sounds Lulu and Twiggy were crafting in '60s pop, redefines them, and re-establishes them. Co-producer Bob Patton's baritone saxophone comes out of nowhere on "Is There Any Love," replaced by Ana Pacanoska's violin, more flutes, and more accordion. This music is dense and thought-provoking, but it doesn't take away from the performance. "Sounds of the Sea" features kena, soaring solos, and Miguel Jimenez on the pan flutes. Russell is a character, and her very serious music has a charm that many musicians fail to express in the recording process. "Boxcar" is a great opening, specifically the drone of "Walk Thru Fire" where "we glimpse through fire and the future." It feels like gypsies spying on a black mass listening to this tune -- incredibly moody and perceptive. There is little of the shrill homogenized Top 40 production that stops so many good records from becoming great. Ernesto Diaz plays strong gothic percussion on "Walk Thru Fire," setting up the listener for the tour de force performance: the title number. The singer walks across a roadway that reaches over water and into the stars with a full moon above her and a red rose piercing the blue. The cover is an exquisite reflection of this great song, with heavy contributions from Holmes. It's rare to find a statement like Highway of Dreams; music this good shouldn't get lost in the shuffle of life.

• LOCAL SINGER AND SONGWRITER TO APPEAR [+ Show ]
  

  Singer Songwriter Pamela Ruby Russell on TV's About the Arts Date: Wednesday, December 04 @ 23:06:2...Singer Songwriter Pamela Ruby Russell on TV's About the Arts
  Date: Wednesday, December 04 @ 23:06:25 EST
  Topic: Entertainment
  
  LOCAL SINGER AND SONGWRITER TO APPEAR
  ON ABOUT THE ARTS TELEVISION SHOW
  
  Boston, MA - About the Arts the weekly cable television arts program goes behind the scenes with Jamaica Plain resident, singer and songwriter Pamela Ruby Russell on Tuesday December 10 and 17 at 7:00 PM on Channel 23 Boston.
  
  About the Arts takes you behind the scenes with this engaging and passionate artist, from rehearsal with her Highway of Dreams Band, voice lessons with her long time vocal coach Mark Baxter to an interview where the artist shares some poignant personal moments of her life. Pamela Ruby Russell's voice and music will touch your soul. You can't help but be moved and inspired by this wonderfully talented performer. The artist's website is at:
  http://www.nextcat.com/rubytunes.
  
  About the Arts is a weekly cable television program, created in 1995 to provide exposure and visibility to the arts, bring local artists to the forefront and to present viewers with innovative and original arts programming, performing, literary and media artists.
  
  "Pamela Ruby Russell a two-time Billboard Song Contest award winner from New York, settled in Boston to study voice with Dante Pavone and Mark Baxter, and piano and music theory with pianist/composer Michael Dooner. Pamela has performed in NYC's revered LaMama Galleria, the infamous Rat, Borders Books & Music Store, City Hall Plaza in Boston, Passim's, Jack's and Ryle's in Cambridge, Tenton's Avant Garde Festival and in LA, Mexico and France. She was also interviwed by Peter Mehegan of WCVB-TV's newszine Chronicle.
  
  Pamela's CD, Highway of Dreams draws from her many adventures, as an elephant rider in a Mexican circus, cantina Tarot card reader, jeweler in the French West Indies, a Cape Cod restaurateur and singing atop a Mayan Temple. Pamela says of her music " I sincerely believe there are common truths, none of us are strangers and honest art is the connection between all people. I strive to make music that uplifts and heals. With all the crazy things I've been through in this bizarre and wonderful life, what I've learned is worth sharing! This is why I sing!"
  
  
  

Setlist

* SET 1 *
BOXCAR
LIVE BABY
MAKE YOU CRY
TENGO RAZON
LOVELY LISA
THINK ABOUT IT
ALMOST GAVE MY HEART AWAY

* SET 2 *
AVENUE OF TEARS
SOUNDS OF THE SEA
IS THERE ANY LOVE?
NO PLACE UNDER THE SUN
WALK THRU FIRE
HIGHWAY OF DREAMS


As far as covers:
LA VIE EN ROSE [What else?]

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