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Sept. 2013: Gary Minkler – Little Trailer Ruby

Autumn greetings to you Monkey Nation!

  1. Where I Am Gary Minkler 3:45
  2. Lulu and Wanda Gary Minkler 4:40
  3. Not Quite Gary Minkler 5:20
  4. The Mammoth Bunch Gary Minkler 1:05
  5. Black Cloud Gary Minkler 5:28
  6. Little Trailer Ruby Gary Minkler 5:28
  7. Big Heart Gary Minkler 5:18
  8. Counterfeit Life Gary Minkler 3:37
  9. Red Hot Face Gary Minkler 5:41
  10. The Old Man's Bay Gary Minkler 5:12
  11. King of Siam Gary Minkler 4:41
  12. Somewhere Between the Come and Go Gary Minkler 5:48

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It is September and I am most pleased to inform you of the release of Gary Minkler’s Little Trailer Ruby right here on GMR.

Gary is the singer extraordinaire for Red Dress, an occasional Seattle institution. I am a long time fan of Red Dress, who we featured as Album of the Month way back in November 2009, back when GMR just restarted.

This is something different.
Little Trailer Ruby started life as a Kickstarter project last November 14. At that time Gary wrote: “I have written a 12 songs and have in mind a few “sound-picture” ideas, music vignettes, some short spoken word pieces and a little “what not” I wish to record and artfully sequence into an album format to be titled “Little Trailer Ruby.”

These songs are contorted, gospel rooted Americana (the broad definition), lyrically akin to  American Modernist poetry sensibilities, shaped like cartoons  but deadly serious! The spoken word bits and sound pictures should serve to give the songs context. Sounds intriguing, don’t it?”

GaryThe project was funded and off Gary went to Uno’s with “The Combination” and knocked out the project. Gary put a Popllama logo on the corner (as usual) shipped it out to the project supporters, played a couple shows – boom. All good, all done.

I’d been trying to convince Gary we should get it out to the wider world for a while and finally Gary agreed. So here it is.

So, what is Little Trailer Ruby anyway? Well, my two cents is that it is pretty different from that wack-boy-funky Red Dress thing. For starters, everything on this record is built around Gary’s guitar, which he never plays in R.D. and is not quite traditional guitar playing. There is not a fast song on this record. There are no “Bob Was A Robot” goofy pop songs. If you want to really get this record, you have to listen to it more than once. More than twice. That’s how good records are. More artistic? A naked touch of soul? You give it some time and you decide.

The album will be in stores and on iTunes September 17th. You can of course get it from us this very minute and if you do, as always, a much larger percent of the dough goes to the artist.

td

September 2013


Little Trailer Ruby (GM1020)

1. Where I amGary Minkler- Little Trailer Ruby
2. Lulu and Wanda
3. Not Quite
4. The Mammoth Bunch
5. Black Cloud
6. Little Trailer Ruby
7. Big Heart
8. Counterfeit Life
9. Red Hot Face
10. The Old Man’s Bay
11. King of Siam
12. Somewhere Between the Come and Go

The Combination:

Gary Minkler, vocals & nylon string guitar
John Stephan, guitar & backup vocals
Walt Singleman, bass
Bill Bagley, keyboards, accordion & backup vocals
Gregg Keplinger, drums
Emily Bishton & Jed Jedrzejewski, additional vocals
C. Travis, maracas, track 2
Bob Morgan, press roll & cymbal, track 1
Rudy Harper, trumpet, track 6
Andy Shaw, bass trombone, track 11Back cover

Credits:

Produced by Conrad Uno
Recorded by Conrad Uno at Egg Studios, Seattle, WA
Instrumental tracks 3,6,9 recorded by David Cameron at Bagley’s pad
Mixed by Conrad Uno
Mastered by Levi Seitz, Black Belt Mastering, Seattle, WA
Arrangements by The Combination and Conrad Uno
Keyboard arrangements by Bill Bagley
All songs – Gary Minkler, ASCAP © 2013 except
Red Hot Face – John Olufs/ Gary Minkler, ASCAP © 2013
Photo  © Ernie Sapiro
Cover Art – Patrick Burke
Layout – Tom Dyer

This album began as a Kickstarter project. Profound thanks to all those that made this Possible.- Gary


The Lowdown:

In the old, weird Seattle, Gary Minkler was a wobbling lighthouse that guided  waylaid stragglers stuck in the coral between the hippie and punk eras, onto to the shores of musical freedom. Before striking a popular chord with a big chunk of the Seattle demographic in the late seventies with Red Dress, Minkler co-produced several outlandish variety shows that featured the cream of Seattle’s underground garde. These shows were the musical spawning ground for what would finally emerge as Red Dress.

One of the most original bands Seattle has ever produced; Red Dress brought together a group of complementary talents that continues to burn with a special chemistry that defies time, trend and category, while at the same time remaining deeply rooted in Northwest rock heritage. Most Seattle musicians knew and admired the “art damaged” force of nature that was truly blowing the roof off the pre-grunge Seattle music club scene. Emerging giants such as Matt Cameron, Jonathan Poneman and Conrad Uno were enthusiastic fans.

The CombinationNow, after over thirty years of energizing the disenfranchised descendants of the Boeing Corporation,  Gary has taken the daring step of putting a new band together to record and play some Minkler songs with a different sound and nature.  The Gary Minkler Combination reunites him with keyboardist Bill Bagley and drummer Gregg Keplinger as well as a coterie of top-notch Seattle musicians, including John Stephan and Walt Singleman. The album is a fabulous collection of words and music that gives listeners a deep glimpse into the mind of Seattle’s most musical poet. Produced by Conrad Uno, the legendary mastermind behind classic albums by The Presidents of the United States, the Fastbacks and the young Fresh Fellows, “Little Trailer Ruby” will thrill the longtime fans and win over the hearts, minds and ears of those who have never heard of Gary Minkler.

 

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