Pasadena Weekly - Bliss
December 15, 2011

'Connexion Eclectique'

Sudbury & Ramos collaboration is a graceful blend of classical, flamenco, jazz and folk

By Bliss 12/15/2011

There are numerous perks that come with having a talented musician as your neighbor, particularly when the artist in question is a sweet human being and shows up at parties with a mean homemade pizza. Life is extra good when he also brings his standup bass for some impromptu jamming. 
 
My neighbor is Ruben Ramos, a bassist and guitarist who has worked with Mike Gurley & the Nightcaps, Jim Stubblefield and Incendio. I’ve grown accustomed to hearing music float through his window and across the yard between our houses as he teaches lessons or rehearses. Last year, some particularly intriguing music caught my ears that turned out to be a new collaboration with violinist Jean Sudbury, another local artist who has plied her instrument at jams in my backyard. 
 
According to Sudbury, she and Ramos first met and played together when she sat in with singer Christina Ortega, with whom Ramos then played bass. Over the years, they continued to encounter one another on jobs, and when an opportunity presented itself last year to organize a small concert with some of her favorite musicians, she invited him to play guitar on her piece “Impromptu.” When Ramos was subsequently asked by a film producer to compose a piece for violin and guitar, Sudbury says, that provided “another stimulus to put our heads together and start writing.” 
 
Flash forward to this month, when Sudbury & Ramos are preparing to give three performances promoting their debut album, “Connexion Eclectique,” a graceful blend of classical, flamenco, jazz and folk elements that opens with “Impromptu.” 
“It’s a true fusion of improvisation and composition,” Sudbury observes. “There’s a little of both in each piece. Which leads to someone listening and going, ‘I might do it this way.’”
 
Sudbury has an extensive background playing violin and mandolin with orchestras, and she welcomed the opportunity to collaborate with another artist. “I’ve never done any [projects] on my own, because somehow a solo violin thing doesn’t make sense,” she explains. “Another player opens the doors for more interesting stuff, as a commercial and as a creative project.”
She and Ramos are examining tour options, and hope to “find little pockets of musicians” who would be open to improvising at concerts with them. 
 
“I’m trying to do some more exploration,” Sudbury says. “I’ve always had things on back burners, but this is the first time it’s in the foreground. Let’s develop this to its full potential.”
Sudbury & Ramos perform at 3 p.m. Sunday, with percussionist Bryan Brock and guitarist Jim Stubblefield, at Coffee Gallery Backstage, 2029 
 
N. Lake Ave., Altadena; $20. Reservations: (626) 798-6236. The duo performs with percussionist Tim Curle at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Café 322, 322 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre; no cover. Info: (626) 836-5414. They also give a free performance for the Glendale Noon Concert Series at First Baptist Church of Glendale, 209 N. Louise St., Glendale, at noon Wednesday. Info: (818) 242-2113. reverbnation.com/sudburyandramos
Socal.com - Paolo Balboa
September 25, 2011

Jean Sudbury and Ruben Ramos at Sierra Madre Playhouse, 9/18

The lights dimmed on the Sierra Madre Playhouse stage at dusk Sunday night as Jean
Sudbury and Ruben Ramos took their chairs to play for a mix, young and old, of locals and newcomers alike. Dressed in matching red-top, black-pant outfits, the duo played a captivating one-hour set that featured its unique fusion of French, Brazilian and
distinctly American sounds.

With Sudbury on the violin and mandolin and Ramos playing acoustic guitar, the pair guided
the audience through its catalogue of European and South American influenced folk-pop. Sudbury’s songs evoked visions of Parisian cafés in the 1920s, as she played her 300-year-old violin airily, reading from a piece of sheet music. Meanwhile, Ramos complimented by playing flamenco and bossa nova-tinged tunes on his guitar.

The duo expertly wove these distinct sounds to create music that is entirely their own, and they know it as well. Sudbury and Ramos’ new album is called Connexion Eclectique, a play on the duo’s unmistakable personality.

The artists introduced songs and talked candidly about their personalities, which gave the pieces depth. “This next one is about a cat – kind of a sex kitten,” Sudbury said, before moving into “Darla,” a sinewy, sensuous and decidedly French waltz.

Later, Ramos introduced “Juarez” in dedication of his brother, Claudio and his father. The piece recalls echoes of the American west, and Ramos’ composition adds a Mexican flavor to the song. Sudbury kept her violin subtle yet distinguished, allowing the piece to breath slowly and with ease.


The pair’s songs were elegant but unpretentious, and they took joy in playing for an audience. Ramos often turned away from the sheet music, allowing his eyes to dim as a smile lit up his features. Sudbury, meanwhile took audience applause with genuine graciousness. They are seasoned professionals in their own rights – Sudbury has played at Disney Hall and the Hollywood Bowl – but this partnership is relatively new. They started playing together three years ago.


“We played our first concert last year and that is when we decided that we were a real
band,” Ramos said, laughing during the intermission.


The duo closed its set with a short, yet-unnamed song written only days ago. In the vein of Sudbury’s French taste, the song was short and sweet, the pair’s way of saying thank you and good night, before standing up to hoots and applause from a charmed audience that looked forward to future endeavors for Sudbury, Ramos and their Eclectic Connection.

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