Ruth Copeland came to Baltimore to play a date in ‘76 or ‘77 at the legendary Four Corners Inn. The venue was a small club, but very progressive and brought in many up and coming acts. I was playing in a band called Climbadonkey at the time and we frequently played at Four Corners Inn. Ruth needed a backup band for her performances and we were recruited. We all lived together in a “band house” then. The plan was to have her come in early, stay with us for the week and rehearse her music, then do a three day weekend with her.
When we met her, she was larger than life. Outspoken, opinionated, sensitive and intuitive, that interesting and intoxicating combination of salty and sweet. She had been there, she was a seasoned professional, and she didn’t mince words. Rehearsals went well, were truly interactive and collaborative, and we were prepared for the show. During the performances she was completely transparent and open with the audience, totally authentic. She had that unique ability to absorb and reflect the energy of the audience. She was electric, and her charisma was palpable.
No frills with Ruth, she was the real deal. What you saw was what you got. The term magical comes to mind…but it wasn’t just that. She had that laser focus and a willingness for total transparency that one needs to achieve excellence.
Getting to know Ruth was a highlight of our careers. We learned many things. She lived her life unapologetically as an open book, with sometimes brutal honesty. But never mean-spirited. Ruth was a complex woman, after spending some time one would understand the joy and pain in her life that made her into who she was, and what she expressed through her music.
These days I have become a music engineer/producer. An artist I’ve been working with over the last two years, Kay Fortuna, was never familiar with Ruth’s body of work. When I turned Kay onto it, she was bowled over. So much so that we decided to pay an homage to Ruth and do a remake of her arrangement of Play With Fire.
It’s amazing how just a whirlwind week with such a seasoned and established artist would form an attitude about music, an ethic and attitude about the craft. It wasn’t just the notes, it was the intensity of feelings the artist imparts into the music, borne of life experience both good and bad. My biggest takeaway? You have to live the music and tell the story, tell it with a depth of authenticity and honesty that can only come from experience.
My only hope is to continue to perpetuate the schooling that we had received from Ruth. Those seven days spent with her formed in me and my subsequent proteges an attitude of being honest with the listener and that you can only truthfully deliver the goods if you “am what you am.” I am forever indebted to Ruth Copeland.