What do you get when you put together drums and voice? You call that a duo. It can be enjoyed in many settings such as jazz. To do it well, it requires two skilled musicians, who listen to each other closely. What if you removed one person from the equation and got to pay the band more? Then you will be left with 22 year old Ruby Laks, who is returning to the prestigious venue 54 Below on July 10th.
Following Laks’s last performance at this venue, celebrating Sondheim, we had a 9:30 pm phone conversation about what it took to put together a program. “The first one was really fun. I went in with a clear idea of what I wanted, to highlight the person who has inspired me the most, which is Sondheim, and then highlight the person who inspired him the most, Oscar Hammerstein.”
Laks was born in Brooklyn, and raised in Pennsylvania and LA. “When I was young, I was a classical pianist, but at the age of 10 decided that I didn’t want to play the same instrument as my dad, so as an act of rebellion I turned to the drums.” That act of rebellion carried Laks towards performing arts high school in LA, where she began to study jazz drums, before simultaneously joining the Opera program. She eventually came to an understanding that she could bridge the gap between her instruments. “I realised later in highschool that it could be cool to be singing and drumming in the same genre.” Her inspirations cover all bases, from Art Blakey and Elvin Jones, to her Sondheim revolution and love for the hit tv series Glee.
As it came time to apply to Universities, Laks never limited herself to one interest and pathway. She began her studies at Oberlin College and Conservatory as a jazz voice, jazz drums and creative writing triple major. Her career picked up during a study away in New York and that’s where she remains, with a unique ability to play her own musical theatre arrangements, singing and playing drums.
Putting together her second show at 54 below, her process is similar to the first time around. “The jazz arrangements are a really collaborative process with my creative partner Andre. I visit him at Julliard, we sit in a room and I’ll pull out my brushes and say, hey here’s a song I really like, and here’s a beat idea that I had over it. He will say, I like that – and what if I was playing this on the piano. I’ll say, oh that’s really good. That’s how it starts.” The process continues into nit picking and becoming specific in the arrangements until they are brought to life. Laks explains her thought process when making these decisions. “Most of the arrangements have to do with what is happening thematically and plot wise in the music itself.” The rehearsal process consists of meeting about four times, before being stage ready.
Taking up two instruments and playing both at a high level is not something seen in everyday life. Adding in the musical theatre dimension in a jazz setting reflects Laks’s ambitious, boundless perspective. “Truthfully, I just want to play this music a lot and will take any excuse to do it. There is more of an excuse for me to do it in a jazz setting as people classify me as a jazz musician.” The bridge between musical theatre and jazz is closer than one might think. The golden age of musical theatre has been taken by jazz musicians for over a century and show tunes become jazz standards. Laks’s continued interest in conjoining the two in her upcoming show is a continuation of an ever evolving tradition.
Every song that Laks chooses to arrange, makes sense in a jazz setting. “Something I really hate is when people arrange just to arrange and have no reason why. We made sure every song would work in this context, to avoid it sounding like a modern fusion jazz song. We are careful which songs we choose.”
When asked about choosing musicians to play with, Laks said that in New York it’s the easiest thing to do in the world because everyone is so good. You will find someone in every niche of any musical genre ready to take on a specific musical project.
People who are aware of Laks through her ever growing social media presence, should be the first ones to buy tickets to this performance. “There’s more happening, the songs are longer than the minute clips you see on instagram, and the content is different. The songs become full. I will stand up and sing without the drums, something I almost never do online.”
In Laks’s parting words she describes what is next for her. “The ultimate dream with no restrictions is to take the Lin-Manuel Miranda path and star in a musical I write. For now I’m really working on original music, for my next big project, a debut album.”
We wrap up our conversion at about 10pm. The night is only beginning and her next plans begin in an hour. No sleep for the multi-talented. There is no doubt Laks will see a bigger stage every year. So get your tickets online while you can.
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