Album Notes

Aunt Ruby’s Sweet Jazz Babies is an Austin, Texas based collection of talent and artistry that seeks to embody, in today’s terms, the very essence of the hot jazz and swing music prevalent from the 1910-1940’s. Each Aunt Ruby’s Sweet Jazz Babies performance is a family oriented event filled with dancing, romance, educated humor, and cosmopolitan sophistication.

The Babies are not a retrospective, sentimental group that longs for days gone by. Aunt Ruby’s Sweet Jazz Babies is a spontaneous and passionate band that celebrates the sheer joy and treasures of living through song for the enjoyment of everyone.

The Individual Members of Aunt Ruby’s Sweet Jazz Babies are:

General Ryan Gould: String Bass, Vocals
Tartan Purry: Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone, Vocals
King Crazy Oliver Steck: Trumpet, Accordion, Vocals
Professor Joseph Cordi: Piano, Accordion, Vocals
Frank Lee Devine: Guitar, Vocals

Each musician is a legend in his own right and can be found performing and in other Austin area bands. Together, they form the nucleus of a Central Texas Hot Jazz phenomenon that is uniquely Austin and simultaneously loyal to the spirit of the music they love.

"They started each song so innocently and quietly as first. As the seconds passed they grew more passionate and soon I became engulfed in a whirlwind of driving rhythm, shouting horns, joyous singing, and laughter. I am not a dancer, but I felt that I had to dance. Their playing was so honest, genuine, and heartfelt. And then I found myself singing along. It was just what my soul wanted." - Mary Ellen Conroy, Austin, Texas.

The Babies enjoy their regular performances on the grassy shores of Lake Austin starting when the sun dips below the horizon and the last of its rays bid the work day farewell. The cool breeze from the Lake carries the music and laughter to your ear as you approach. The moonlight beckons lovers to come out and explore the treasures life has to offer. This is the world of the Babies and we invite you to join us.

The Babies website www.arsjb.com is a wealth of additional information concerning the band's role in the discovery of the Foutain of Youth, their connections with the Civil War, Theodore Roosevelt, design of the Apollo spacecraft, J. Edgar Hoover, the development of modern economic theory, the Dalai Lama rescue, and so many more things you have been yearning to know!