Debbie Deane
Red Ruby Stars
Red Ruby Stars
Produced by Adrian Harpham with Debbie Deane and Rich Lamb
Debbie Deane--Piano, Wurlitzer, Rhodes, organ, Model D synth, acoustic guitar, vocals
Christopher Thomas--Electric Bass
Brian Blade—Drums
With Special Guests:
Guitars: Marvin Sewell, Tom Guarna, Robin Macatangay, Chris Bruce, Jeff Lockhart
Horns: Donny McCaslin, Steven Bernstein, Erik Lawrence, Clark Gayton, Barry Danielian
Strings: Jonathan Dinklage, Dave Eggar
Percussion: Alex Alexander, Adrian Harpham
Various synths: Adrian Harpham, Rich Lamb B-3 Organ: Bruce Flowers
Recorded by Rich Lamb at The Bunker Studio, Brooklyn NY, Alley Cat Studio, NYC and Benny’s Wash N’ Dry, Brooklyn, NY.
Additional recording by Adrian Harpham at Terminator A studio, NYC, & Studio Chez A-Rocka Phil, PA.
Donny McCaslin recorded by Todd Carder at The Bunker Studio, Brooklyn, NY. Guitars, strings and horns generously recorded (during Covid) by Marvin Sewell, Chris Bruce, Jonathan Dinklage, Dave Eggar, Steven Bernstein and Erik Lawrence in their home studios.
Horns arranged by Steven Bernstein and Fima Ephron.
Additional horn arranging Adrian Harpham and Debbie Deane.
All strings arranged by Adrian Harpham.
Mixing: Adrian Harpham, Rich Lamb
Mix Transfer to ¼ inch tape: Brendan McGeehan
Mastering: Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound, Edgewater, NJ
Design: Rebecca Meek
Photos: Brian Geltner, Matt Carr
Publicity: Kim Smith
All songs Copyright ©2021 Debbie Deane
About Debbie Deane
Debbie Deane hails from a musical world without boundaries, where singer-songwriters and top-tier jazz musicians breathe the same creative air. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Debbie grew up listening to Carole King, Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, and Steely Dan. As a teenager she explored the fertile ground of the Great American Songbook. Introduced to folk, funk and fusion by her older brother, she studied the great divas of the jazz and pop worlds developing an intense interest in jazz harmony. Music was the ultimate refuge.
After earning a degree in English Literature from Harvard, Debbie embarked on a career in music. She studied jazz intensively at Boston’s Berklee College of Music, honing the piano skills that she continues to display as a singer-songwriter. At first her songwriting and singing came as an afterthought, but then took center stage.
In her performing and recording life, Debbie had the good fortune to work with acclaimed jazz musicians who share her interest in quality songwriting — people like drummer Brian Blade and the late, great bass player Jeff Andrews. Moving back to Brooklyn, she lived in a “jazz den” with some of the city’s most promising jazz musicians, including saxophonists Seamus Blake and Terry Deane, drummer Marc Miralta and pianists John Stetch and George Colligan. “Everyone came through our place,” says Debbie. “The people I’ve played with, they’re all my friends and they’ve known me, they’ve been my roommates and people I went to school with.” Their presence on Debbie’s recordings and at her live shows is a powerful endorsement. Debbie continues to gig extensively in New York and beyond. She is proud to be a part of Brooklyn Above Ground, a diverse music collective that has donated proceeds from its compilation CD to the grass-roots organization World Hunger Year. Debbie’s songs have appeared on TV’s “Party of Five,” on Jennifer Love Hewitt’s album Let’s Go Bang, and in a number of films. In addition, she is a cast member of the Great American Pop Show: the History of American Popular Music, which tours elementary schools in and around New York City. Teaching music is a big part of her life. “I wish all debuts could be as strong as this one. And it’s not due just to the the stellar sidemen...it's the heart and soul of the artist's music and vision. In a word, soul,” wrote Mike Bannon in Jazz Review.com about Debbie’s self-titled debut CD. Produced by bassist Jeff Andrews and featuring Wayne Krantz, Joshua Redman, Brian Blade, Phil Markowitz and more, the album was licensed by ESC Records and released in Europe in 2005. She was featured on Radio France, and on Lufthansa Airline's Inflight program in 2006. The label also honored Debbie by including her rendition of “Any World (That I’m Welcome To)” on the 2006 compilation Maestros of Cool: a Tribute to Steely Dan.
In June 2007, Debbie released her second album, the richly rewarding Grove House, on RKM Records, a label run by the illustrious jazz saxophonist Ravi Coltrane. Once again, she brought warmth, sophistication and rock-n-roll edge to the table, leading another cast of fine musicians including RIchard Hammond, Robin Macatangay, Tony Mason, Chris Cheek and her husband Jim Whitney. Selections produced by Elie Massias and Dan Stein, the album features songs of love, ambivalence and freedom
Debbie’s performance highlights include a tour of Japan with renowned jazz pianist George Colligan. She also played a featured role in the off-Broadway show “A Pure Gospel America”. And, she was honored to sing the first ever National Anthem at the Barclays Center for the inaugural Brooklyn Nets game.