DEB RYDER - LIVE AND HAVING FUN

Blues Matters got the chance to speak with Deb Ryder, a powerhouse in the world of blues music. Known for her soulful voice, evocative songwriting, and captivating stage presence, Deb has carved out a remarkable career that resonates with authenticity and passion. With a rich discography and accolades that reflect her deep connection to the blues tradition, she continues to captivate audiences around the globe. Amongst the many topics for discussion was her recent live recording, Live And Havin’ Fun.

WORDS: Colin Campbell PICS: Marilyn Stringer

“I was born outside of Chicago and lived there in my early years. My dad, a fabulous crooner, he did all the old Sinatra stuff and took us kids to clubs where we performed like the Trapp Family Singers, earning spaghetti and meatballs. After singing with him in church, we moved to Malibu for his job with Encyclopaedia Britannica. My parents had a wild time but divorced soon after the move. My mom then moved us to Topanga Canyon, where she and my stepfather opened the Topanga Corral, hosting legends like Taj Mahal, Etta James, and Neil Young. By 1968, I was a young singer surrounded by incredible musicians. I had a job mucking horses, mopping stalls, brushing them, and taking guests on tours. If I finished early, I could jam with Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young on the porch. My earliest big musical experiences were with them. Living in a small room behind the Topanga Corral, I could hear the club’s music shaking my walls. I spent every night in junior high and early high school at the club, eventually opening for major acts. These neighbours in the canyon mentored me and taught me about the blues. That’s my story, you know!”

“Bob Hite from Canned Heat had the most extensive collection of blues, 45, 78, and albums in the world. I babysat his children and, while he was on gigs, he’d lay out specific blues records for me to listen to, especially women of the blues. I had to listen in order and was not allowed to touch anything in his house. That was quite an education!”

“Etta James stayed at the cabin behind the club where I lived. I’d knock on her door and say, ‘Hello, Miss Etta, are you in?’ She’d let me in, and over the years, she taught me how to write songs. My early background was singing and jamming, but Etta gave me a unique blues education. She was very stern but very kind, teaching me to stick to tradition but to let the lyrics go outside the box. Years later, I opened for her at gigs, and we became friends.

These early days were wonderful, and I often regaled my husband with these tales.”

“I used to warm up for Big Joe Turner’s band because he liked to sit at the bar with Topanga Dick, the guy who booked all the blues acts. I’d run in and say, “Big Joe, I’m here.” He’d reply, ‘Well, warm up that band.’ I knew all his tunes and it was great. I was probably 14 or 15 at the time. A few years later, when I opened for Etta James, I was about 18 or 19.”

Deb’s transition to being a musician full time came later in life:

“I enrolled in nursing school, but the hospital they sent me to, County USC, was awful. I lasted two weeks before I fainted and realized nursing wasn’t for me. I tried various jobs: banking (I was a bank manager and good with numbers), construction, and waitressing, especially during our early married years to pay the mortgage and support our children. My recording career started much later, but I had a lucrative career in TV, radio spots, and national commercials. I worked with two producers and recorded jingles for brands like Cody, Burger King, Jell-O, and Caloric ranges.”

“In Las Vegas, I performed, and my voice was used for showgirls who lip-synced to my singing. One memorable performance featured women dressed as the Statue of Liberty and Martha Washington. My jingle career ended when one producer left the business and the other inherited money. Besides jingles, I did background vocals for various artists, including Dave Mason and early blues musicians. My name appears on many records. The best advice I’ve received on rhythm and lead guitar, Kirk Nelson on keyboards, Mike Sauer on drums, my husband Ric Ryder on bass, and Jimmy Z. I’ve got this great band and I’m pretty excited.”

Where did you learn your stagecraft?

“I stood at the end of the corral stage, like a sponge with my mouth open, watching Etta James. She had everybody there wrapped around her finger and could sell a song like nobody. She taught me that songs should say, exactly what she meant to say. Stagecraft varies; in a rock band, it’s different from singing the blues. The key is to keep the audience enthralled. If they love you, they’ll let you know, and if they don’t, they’ll let you know too! Crowds in Europe are crazy and inspiring, which shapes the performance.”

“Festival audiences are amazing, and bigger,” she adds. Smaller clubs are equally wonderful. Smaller, intimate clubs can struggle more financially, making tickets pricier, which sometimes affects crowd size. American audiences are very enthusiastic and they either love the blues or they don’t, and in my case, they do! Blues audiences are like a family and are some of the finest human beings and best attendees ever. I play all over the US, including Illinois, Portland, Northern California, and Los Angeles. Many venues closed during Covid, but the ones that reopened, like the one I’m playing this Friday, are great clubs.”

“Playing music for live crowds and the joy of singing make me feel most comfortable in my own skin. Singing is like the only time when I’m recording or I’m singing live or I’m writing. Though I’m a great mom, wife, and baker, my true comfort comes from music. I’m a prolific writer, often working on maybe four tunes at a time, combining verses or sparking new directions. I constantly listen to music to see what other artists are doing, what’s trending, and what people love. This matters to me a lot.”

What makes a good song?

“I’m pretty critical of my music, I really am. People say, ‘you’re such a great songwriter,’ and I get to write for a lot of other people. I judge a song’s quality by how it sticks in my head all day, how I hum it and think about the bridge. I write about everything, love, relationship experiences. Recently, I wrote a hilarious tune about nosy neighbours in the canyon, with the bassist from Tool producing it. It’s a blues rap with funny, autobiographical lyrics about a neighbour taking pictures, causing a fuss, and calling the cops. It doesn’t have to be a ‘good’ song, just lyrics that are funny or poignant. One of my favourite tunes I’ve ever written is called, For The Last Time, a duet I did with the great and now gone Mike Finnigan. It’s a beautiful song. I also write a lot of pretty ballads and a funny song I did as a duet with Sugar Ray Rayford. I write about everything.”

Your newest release Live And Having Fun is your first live album?

“I had a lot of requests from people at shows saying, ‘You should have recorded this tonight, it was great.’ So, the story is pretty easy. I turned a big birthday and invited all the West Coast heavy duty blues artists. Many went, then word got out, ‘Can I come and play?’ I’ve always been blessed; they call me, Tony Braunagel, or my husband. This was a very good central location, an old, iconic club, very tufted, red leather, dark club, groovy place. So, before you know it, I had a very good live recording. We ended up having the basic core of the Phantom Blues Band. Michael had passed, so Jim Pugh, Tony Braunagel, Johnny Lee Schell, Joe Sublette, Lon Price, Paul Litteral, and Ric Ryder played bass. Albert Lee and Arturo Meneses were special guests. Joey Delgado did an amazing job. They just stopped by, didn’t ask, and in most cases, they asked me. ‘Hey, can I come play, too? Yeah, come on.’ It was excellent. So, I think the album has a party vibe.” We were having a great time. It wasn’t like other live recording sessions where they might play a song three times or not at all.”

“This was truly live, fourteen songs. I mean, there it was.” The song, Fun Never Hurt Noone and the album cover were inspired by the show that I’ve been doing in Los Angeles. That is a gas, I have to I have to talk about it. It’s called Tribute To The Fillmore, both East and West. There are all kinds of artists coming in and out, but the basic band and how I got working with Jimmy Z, was structured by Laurie Rymer and Kenny Lee Lewis, Dave Matthews’ guitarist who’s been with him 43 years. It’s a love of tunes we loved: Janis Joplin, Tina Turner, Jimi Hendrix, Junior Walker. All ‘60s stuff with posters from that era. The album and song were inspired by the vibe at the show. I just finished it before that party.” “I record with the great Johnny Lee Schell. I’m very, very fortunate to work with him. In terms of pre-production, we call it. They’re not really demos, more like pre-production meetings. We decide on the key, the vibe, and the drums are put on later. They are demos, but we call them pre-production, and I live with it for a while. If I love it, I’ll record it. Tony came in and did the drums, and Joe Sublett redid some of the solo work. It was wonderful, performing and recording it again.”

“I will never stop writing, performing, and recording the blues until God calls me home. It’s where I want to be and what I want to be doing. It’s my best part of life, emotionally and physically. Rick and I call it our blues retirement because music is all we do now. He had a major career in motion pictures, doing art department and props for films like The Green Mile, The Aviator, and Almost Famous. Before that, he was a tour manager for big national tours like The Monkees and Queen. He started at Harmony Pictures, coincidentally when I was doing soundtracks and commercials. Our son Ricky, Jr. is a schoolteacher and loves music but isn’t pursuing it as a career.”

For further information see website: debryder.com