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If you haven’t been paying attention to his career, this is the short version of what you need to know: Chris Ruest is the real thing.The Connecticut native’s interest in guitar was encouraged by his father and his uncle, jazz musician Louis Mastrobattisto. Ruest began taking lessons at 15, hoping, rather typically, to emulate blues-based rock guitarists!Duane Allman,!Eric Clapton, and Jimmy Page, but soon discovered the artists who inspired them.
Gradually his core group of touchstone artists expanded to include the likes of Hubert Sumlin, Pee Wee Crayton, Robert Nighthawk, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, Pat Hare, Eddie Taylor, Freddie King, Magic Sam, Robert!Lockwood, Luther Tucker,T-Bone Walker, Albert Collins, Tiny Grimes, and many others. After playing around New England between the ages of 17 and 25, Ruest resolved to make music his main priority, gave up his factory job, and relocated to Texas in 1999. Already a serious student and lover of traditional blues and blues-oriented jazz artists, the singer-guitarist came up through Brian “Hash Brown” Calway’s band (justly regarded as the finishing school of choice for aspiring Dallas blues musicians.) He soon began working with the top talent in Dallas and Austin, and cultivated solid connections to Texas blues and rock and roll history through friendships with Sam Myers and Ray Sharpe (“Linda Lu”).
Chris Ruest belongs to the impressive class of serious Texas blues guitarists, a group that includes!Johnny Moeller, Shawn Pittman and Nick Curran. While the others may have wider name recognition, Ruest has quietly built a reputation of excellence that is spreading beyond his Austin home base. A veteran with well over two decades’ experience on the bandstand, Ruest’s passion for classic blues (jump, Chicago, and Gulf Coast) and roots rock forms comes through in an original voice that combines immediacy and authenticity. Dead-on songwriting and savvy selection of covers provide a platform for his unaffected, honest vocals and tough guitar.
2004 brought Ruest’s recording debut as a solo artist, "Too Many Problems", aspirited collection that captured crisp performances in glorious, true-to-vintage sound. The notable players who appeared on that disc, including Preston Hubbard, Matt Farrell and “Kaz” Kazanoff in addition to Curran and Hash Brown, offer testimony to the respect Ruest commands among his colleagues.
Having performed at clubs and festivals throughout Texas and coast to coast inthe United States, Ruest has expanded his touring schedule internationally toinclude Costa Rica, Spain, France, Germany, Belgium, Finland and multiple tours of Sweden.
“My goal is to play everywhere and keep playin’.”
Chris recorded a sophomore CD, “No 2nd Chances” (2008); a 3rd release, “Live at Shakespeares with Ronnie James and JD Dtullio” (2011); a collaboration with piano legend Gene Taylor and drummer Brian Fahey of the Paladins, “Too Late Now” (2017, El Toro Records, Spain); and “Been Gone Too Long” (2017, Enviken Records, Sweden).
These recordings demonstrate Ruest’s winning formula for making outstanding blues records: Guitar playing that ranges from savage to sophisticated, honest vocals and a lockstep connection with the band that gives the set power, finesse,and a fine-tuned dynamic range.
The essence of blues tradition, past, present and future, is in good hands with Chris Ruest.
Doors: 7:00pm
Cover: $10
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Event Venue
The Big Easy, 5731 Kirby Dr,Houston, Texas, United States
Tickets
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.
