Dave Guy: Ruby

Guy is soul royalty: he’s played on stage and in the studio with artists such Amy Winehouse and Sharon Jones – as well as Lizzo – and plays on “The Tonight Show” as a member of The Roots.
This solo album is jazz / soul and every track (all instrumentals) sounds like a forgotten classic. The lack of vocals and the nostalgic sound suggest it awaits a soundtrack from a cool movie, but it certainly stands alone as an album.
It’s everything you want, really. A tight rhythm section and Guy’s soulful trumpet over the top.
Some of the tracks would benefit from vocals, which is kinder than saying they’re a bit like fillers, but side one of the vinyl would be strong, especially opener “7th Heaven”, the Latin-inspired “Footwork”, and the groove-heavy swagger of “Morning Glory”.
So, what’s the story? An album for fans of soul and soulful jazz; gritty, smart New York rather than Detroit in sound.
See daveguy.bandcamp.com.