Raised in NYC's East Village, Dave was surrounded by hip-hop and the hustle that defined the city in the '90s. In those formative days, he and his playing were influenced by jazz greats like Donald Byrd and Hugh Masekela but also by the Native Tongue sounds of A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul. His time at LaGuardia Performing Arts High School furthered this path. Dave remembers sharing playing time with Big Crown co-founder Leon Michels and drumming powerhouse Homer Steinweiss. "Being in the All-City Jazz Big Band, I would see them rehearsing all the time," Dave recalls. "They were already doing things with the Dap-Kings back then—which was crazy." It was here that Dave's voice as a player began to take shape and continued to be refined through his studies at the Manhattan School of Music and The New School, and then playing with Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Charles Bradley & Menahan Street Band, The Sugarman 3 and more and lending his playing to records from the likes of Amy Winehouse, Mark Ronson, Pharell, The, Lee Fields, Al Green, and many others.
As fate would have it, a classic case of “when one door shuts, another opens” was really what got the ball rolling on the album. "I never wanted to force my own project," Dave explains. "There was always a lot going on between things—the timing was never right." But then, The Tonight Show had to pause during the 2023 Writers' Strike and, unexpectedly, there was a free moment. Within days Dave started recording at NYC’s fabled Diamond Mine studio with Steinweiss and Movshon. What started out as just looking to make music and create, quickly took shape and direction and they ended up laying down something wildly special and authentic. An album of songs that capture different moods and an invitation into the world as Dave Guy sees it and feels it.
Ruby is a record that mixes Dave Guy’s musical influences with the energies of the city that raised him. It also features stunning cover art by renowned NYC-based multidisciplinary artist Derrick Adams. Pre-save / pre-order Ruby here: https://bigcrownrecords.com/store/ruby.
‘RUBY’ TRACK LISTING 01 - 7th Heaven 02 - Footwork 03 - I'll Follow You 04 - Morning Glory 05 - Pinky Ring 06 - Diamond Encore 07 - Still Standing 08 - Dave Wants You 09 - Drony Boy 10 - Quesodillas 11 - The Green Door 12 - Ruby's Rubies |
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