Mason Ruffner – Mason Ruffner (1985)

Mason Ruffner (born 1953) is an American blues and rock singer, guitarist and songwriter. He has worked with many musicians including Bob Dylan, Daniel Lanois, Robert Ealey, Memphis Slim, John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Page and Ringo Starr. Ruffner’s career has been inspired by Jimmy Reed, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Lightnin’ Hopkins and Howlin’ Wolf.

Ruffner was born in Fort Worth, Texas, and grew up in a strict Protestant home. He initially relocated to California at the age of 17, but returned to Texas in the 1970s inspired to play music. His early musical experiences included playing at Fort Worth’s Bluebird Lounge, playing alongside Robert Ealey in his backing ensemble known as the Five Careless Lovers. Moving on again he arrived in New Orleans in the late 1970s, intending to travel across Europe. However he was enchanted by the music he heard there, particularly work by Smiley Lewis and Huey “Piano” Smith.

Ruffner formed the Blue Rockers and found regular employment at Club 544. There he backed visiting musicians such as John Lee Hooker and Memphis Slim. Spotted playing in 1985 by CBS Records’ Tony Martell, Ruffner was offered a recording contract with the label. His debut album, Mason Ruffner (1985), was produced by Rick Derringer, and earned critical acclaim from both Rolling Stone and The New York Times. “Recorded in Louisiana and New York, you’d never guess Derringer is on bacground vocals, synthesizers, bass, and guitar. The producer stays out of the spotlight embellishing this solid effort.” He went on to tour supporting Jimmy Page.

In Bob Dylan’s memoir, Chronicles: Volume One (2004), Dylan noted “Ruffner played in Bourbon Street clubs like the Old Absinthe Bar. He was a regional star, had a high pompadour, a gold tooth smile with a tiny guitar inlaid. He had a few records out and some explosive licks with funky edges, rockabilly tremolo-influenced, wrote songs, too, said that he’d hung around libraries reading Rimbaud and Baudelaire to get his language down. He also told me that as a teenager he had played with Memphis Slim. I thought I had something in common with him there. I’d played with Big Joe Williams when I was coming up. Mason had some fine songs. One of them had the line, “You do good things for people and it just makes them bad.” I would have thought about recording it if I didn’t have my own originals.”

Artist: Mason Ruffner
Album: Mason Ruffner
Year: 1985
Label: CBS Associated Records
Style: Blues Rock, Southern Rock
Format: mp3/320

Tracklist
01 Just Be My Friend 3:49
02 Lady Moon 3:55
03 Gamblin’ Fever 4:01
04 Down To New Orleans 3:17
05 Bon Ton Roule 4:00
06 Gravediggers 2:51
07 Ain’t Nothin’ But Trouble 3:04
08 Standed 5:01
09 Lay It On Me 3:23
10 Serenata 4:03

Mason Ruffner: Guitar, Lead Vocals
Rick Derringer: Guitar, Bass, Synthesizer, Backing Vocals, Producer
Mike Stockton: Bass
Bernard Kenny: Drums, Backing Vocals
Willie Cole: Drums, Backing Vocals
Chris Clifton: Guitar
Nick Connolly: Organ
Katie Webster: Piano

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