About Us
Ruby Slippers’ September 23,
2005 release of their debut CD, Living
Room, is the culmination of a whirlwind two years for the
Asheville-based trio.
Molly Kummerle, Andy John, and Robin Tolleson came together late in
2003, and within weeks of recording a demo they were entertaining
offers to
play in locations throughout the Southeast. They have taken their "acid
lounge" sound across the area, performing at the Sistahs On Stage
Festival,
Localpalooza IV, Live At Pritchard Park, The Orange Peel and Stella
Blue in Asheville, the Green Ball to Benefit the Asheville Arts
Council,
Nashville’s Windows On The Cumberland, Knoxville’s Preservation Pub,
The Imagination Ball and The Handlebar in Greenville, and
The Pour House in Charleston. They are also featured regularly on
WNCW-FM and performed live in the studio for the station’s "Local
Colors"
segment. They recorded Living Room with engineer Andy Bishop at Giraffe
Studios in Hendersonville, NC, and Grammy-winning producer
Steven Heller of Asheville did the
mastering.
Molly Kummerle is
the lead vocalist and songwriter of Ruby Slippers. She was born on
the
island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and moved to Asheville
in middle school, where
she played soccer and trombone. After graduating from Brevard College,
Molly sang backup
for the R&B band Mavis, and began writing with local musicians. She
began attending the
Jazz Open Mic at Tressa’s nightclub in Asheville every Tuesday, working
out her songs with
the house band, pianist
Chuck Lichtenberger, bassist Mike Alexander, and drummer
Robin Tolleson. That group, with multi-instrumentalist Andy John,
recorded the first
Ruby Slippers demo. An emotional, raw singer in the style of Jill
Scott, Joss Stone and
Joan Osborne, Molly performed in the Asheville cast of the "Rocky
Horror Show" last year.
Andy John is trained in jazz
but grew up on Jimi and can quote Frank Zappa. Born in Albany, NY,
schooled in Knoxville, TN, before moving to Memphis for five years, the
guitarist (and his
instrumental trio Klarcnova) fits well in the Asheville music scene
because he clearly doesn’t
like rules. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be doing what he’s doing in Ruby
Slippers – using a
hollow-body six-string electric jazz guitar to cover lead, harmony and
bass parts all at the
same time. He also plays electric bass on several songs, again,
covering lead, harmony and
bass parts at the same time. See it to believe it, folks.
Robin Tolleson grew up in San
Francisco, and was heavily influenced by the Bay area’s
musical melting pot of funk, rock, soul, jazz and Latin musics. He has
recorded with guitarist
Gregory James, Indigo Swing, Patrick O’Hearn, Big Block Dodge, and the
instrumental funk
trio Hipbones, which he founded in 1993. Also a respected correspondent
for Modern Drummer
and downbeat magazines, Robin always brings an allegiance to the song
and the groove, and
creative use of sounds. He also helps shade Ruby Slippers’ soulful brew
with supporting vocals.
