RUFF CUTS

1. I AINT GOT YOU (Carter)  2:02
2. FOLSOM PRISON BLUES (Cash)  4:39
3. AVERAGE GIRL (Chef Chris) 3:06
4. CRAWFISH GUMBO (Chef Chris) 8:51
5. EARLY IN THE MORNING (Jr. Wells)  5:47
6. YOU’RE GOING TO JAIL AND YOUR CAR IS TOO (Chef Chris)  4:12
7. STOLEN CAR BLUES (Chef Chris)  6:24
8. SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL (Jagger/Richards)  5:07

CHEF CHRIS-Vocals/Harp

SIR TIM DUVALIER- Guitar

VINNY D’COBRA-Drums

“BROTHER” BILL LEWIS-(Bass)

“Ruff Cuts” was quickly recorded in the winter of 2001-2002 after Chef Chris and his Nairobi trio won the Detroit Battle of the Blues Bands. The recording session was one of the bands many prizes awarded to them with their victory. With only 10 hours studio time the initial thought was to create a demo.

Another prize from the Detroit Battle was a free trip to Memphis TN., to compete at the prestigious International Blues Challenge (IBC) courtesy of the Canada South Blues Society. This demo would be needed for the many contacts the band would meet during the IBC which took place in the clubs along historic Beale Street in February 2002.

As it turned out Chef Chris and his Nairobi Trio would win the IBC and would be invited back to Memphis in May 2002 to play the WC Handy Awards. It then became a necessity to have product ready not just for the Handy Awards but for the many other gigs the band would have as a result of winning the IBC.

The finishing touches were put on the disc at Ardent Studios (Memphis) in May 2002; by June 2002 “Ruff Cuts” had sold over a thousand copies and for the next two years Chef Chris and his Nairobi Trio would enjoy brisk sales of this disc as they played all over the south, and Midwest. The songs Folsom Prison Blues, Crawfish Gumbo, and Sympathy for the Devil would get immediate air play on XM satellite radio and still do today.

The songs “Average Girl” and “You’re going to Jail and your car is too” would be featured on two nationally distributed compilation CDs. In the spring of 2003 “Ruff Cuts” was sent to Disc Makers for consideration for the Independent Music World Series. (IMWS) The album was one of 1200 entries and was chosen as top six finalist by Billboard Magazine. 

Recorded and mixed by Alex Trajano at Thrilla Park Sound Laboratory.

Mastered at Ardent Studios, Memphis TN- engineer Brad Blackwood

Cover art by John Sirvinskis

Manufactured and printed by Disc Makers, Pennsauken, NJ  USA