The 30th anniversary celebration features renowned musicians Samantha Fish and Mitch Ryder, as Ruf Records, a distinguished blues label, commemorates this milestone.
The 30th anniversary celebration features renowned musicians Samantha Fish and Mitch Ryder, as Ruf Records, a distinguished blues label, commemorates this milestone.
Since 1994, Ruf Records hasn't just honored blues heritage, the German label has ingeniously introduced the genre to new enthusiasts, advancing it over the past 3 decades.
For modern blues guitarist Samantha Fish and iconic rock 'n' roller Mitch Ryder, their roads to the label were strikingly dissimilar.
Fish started collaborating with Ruf in 2011, recording her first studio album Girls With Guitars alongside Cassie Taylor and Dani Wilde, as well as her inaugural solo studio project Runaway. These were two of the seven projects with Ruf that she's been involved in.
Most famous for mid-60s rock and roll hits like “Devil With a Blue Dress On” and “Jenny Take a Ride!” (with his Detroit Wheels), Ryder unveiled his first Ruf release earlier this year, recording the double live album The Roof Is on Fire, which includes his signature twist on cuts from artists like Bob Dylan and Jimmy Cliff.
Each year, Ruf goes back in time, showcasing a distinctively diverse touring blues caravan. For this year's edition, Fish, Ryder, Canned Heat, Bernard Allison, and Ghalia Volt joined forces.
“It brings back good memories,” said Ryder, 79, backstage before a performance outside Chicago at the Arcada Theatre as the tour concluded last month. “It’s like a little Motown revue. They’re fun. And that’s the important part,” he said.
“I joined Ruf when I did the blues caravan. And we toured all over Europe with it,” added Fish. “So, this is something that’s kind of a common thread throughout my career: a large tour going out and different acts collaborating. It’s nice because it freshens it up for us as a band,” she explained. “I think it’s really kind of a refreshing experience for fans too. Because, I think they see the lineup and are like, ‘That’s unexpected - in a cool way.’”
Ruf Records was established by Thomas Ruf, manager of renowned blues guitarist Luther Allison, three decades ago.
This time around, the caravan saw Allison's son, guitarist Bernard Allison, joining blues rockers Canned Heat (with guitarist Jimmy Vivino and longtime drummer Adolfo "Fito" de la Parra, who performed with the group at both Monterey Pop and Woodstock) while Ryder and multi-instrumentalist Ghalia Volt teamed up with Fish during her headlining set.
For Allison, who hails from Chicago, the Arcada show was akin to a homecoming.
“How about it for Canned Heat?” said Allison on stage, backed by the group as he introduced his own “Change Your Way of Living.” “I had the chance to tour with Canned Heat and my daddy in Europe. So, this is a great pleasure!”
Bernard and Canned Heat revamped Luther Allison’s “Bad Love” with Fish delivering “Better Be Lonely” straight into “Chills and Fever” near the start of her set.
“I think we’re kind of figuring out what we need to do as a band to support and elevate Mitch and his songs,” said Fish before the Arcada concert about performing with Ryder. “He’s really cool and very kind. He’s just such a legend,” she said.
“I had never seen her perform - until the day we got together to rehearse for the show. And I was blown away. She’s a very, very widespread talent,” said Ryder about sharing the stage with Fish. “We were talking about her voice yesterday. When she gets into the higher register, she sounds like she has that same nasal tone quality that Aretha Franklin had up in the higher registers - but only in the higher registers. Then, when she gets into the lower register, she sounds sort of like a country music star,” said Ryder, analyzing Fish's range. “Multi-talented. A lot of energy. And knows her business,” he continued. “She seems to have seen it all in her life. And I know all of this because I’ve been through it myself.”
Supported by Fish and her outstanding four-piece band, Ryder delivered a vibrant take on Bob Dylan’s “From a Buick 6,” contributing on tambourine as Fish played a searing slide guitar.
“This next one was written by one of my heroes growing up,” said Ryder on stage, referencing Dylan. “I’m a Dylan lover,” he added backstage before the show. “If you listen to the catalog that he’s created over the many, many decades, you understand that he’s very familiar with what blues is.”
Recognized for influential labels like Chess and Vee-Jay, Chicago is also lauded for its electrification of Delta blues music, a unique spin on tradition pioneered by artists like Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and John Lee Hooker that was propagated back to the masses by U.K. artists like the Rolling Stones.
“Chicago was one of the first towns I travelled to outside of Kansas City. I wanted to come play up here. And I got a gig at Rosa’s Lounge really young,” Fish explained. “When I was learning how to play, I got introduced to the blues through rock and roll bands. I went and searched, ‘Well, who did Keith Richards listen to?’ And then you start to discover it,” she said.
"I used to hang out with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. That's where I met Mike Bloomfield, the guitarist, and a bunch of other folks," Ryder reminisced about meeting Mike Bloomfield in Chicago. "We were always flirting with the blues, even in Detroit," he shared. "The group that eventually turned into the Detroit Wheels, they had a rock vibe, and I was deeply invested in the urban music scene. I was part of a Black a cappella group and recorded my first single on an album for a Black gospel label," Ryder explained. "So, that's where my passion was heading. And then, when you combine that with the rock and roll spirit of those young men with teeming hormones? It was a wildly energetic music," he added.
"You never know who the next up-and-coming musician is going to resonate with. And they'll find their inspiration and influencers," Fish continued. "I mean, it's all just part of the blues storytelling and tradition. Everything is linked to the past – and therefore to the future as well."
Attaching a cigar box guitar, Fish ripped into "Bulletproof" towards the end of her Arcada set, shredding it with a slide on her left pinky while kicking with her left foot as she made her way back to the drum kit.
Saving the most powerful rock song of the night for the finale, Fish was joined by the dynamic Belgian multi-instrumentalist Ghalia Volt for a lively rendition of R.L. Burnside's "Goin' Down South." Fish engaged with Volt, grinning as she shredded, with the duo soon clashing for a boisterous series of guitar solos, culminating in a performance that united several generations of blues-inspired artists.
"It was a surprise to me," Ryder said of finding success with Ruf. "I've never been on the blues charts. But the album itself debuted at #3 on the blues chart. And it's been an enlightening experience for me," he explained. "Even though I can sing the blues well, I never considered it one of my priorities. I always saw myself as more of a rhythm and blues singer. To have it labeled as blues is different. But, you know, times are changing. Everything is in flux. Everyone is searching for the magic key and nobody knows where it is – except me," Ryder said with a smile.
"Ghalia Volt, Bernard Allison and Canned Heat – they're knocking it out of the park. Everyone's unique. And I think that's the awesome thing about Ruf Records," said Fish. "I've been sharing this story on stage every night. But I've been talking about how Ruf signed me when I was 20. I was just a kid in Kansas City, and this is a German record label. It's like, how the hell did that happen?" the guitarist chuckled. "Well, Thomas is always on the lookout for diverse talent. And he'll go to the ends of the earth to find it. He gave me a chance. And I'm here today because of that chance. So, that's why I'm doing this," Fish explained. "It's cool to celebrate a company that gives artists the freedom to be themselves. Thomas has always been like, ‘Be you.' So, it's cool to be able to celebrate that."
Mitch Ryder's first Ruf release, 'The Roof Is on Fire', features covers of Bob Dylan and Jimmy Cliff's songs.Samantha Fish and Mitch Ryder, both associated with Ruf Records, had significantly different paths to the label.Ghalia Volt, Bernard Allison, and Canned Heat, along with Mitch Ryder and Samantha Fish, were part of Ruf Records' diverse blues caravan this year.Bernard Allison, the son of renowned blues guitarist Luther Allison, joined Canned Heat in Ruf Records' blues caravan.