By Lisa Morgan
For as long as she can remember, Ruth Ruiz has been a music lover. Listening to Ella Fitzgerald, Dina Washington, Nancy Wilson, Coltrane, Miles Davis and the Jazz Crusaders all through her youth, Ruth lives and breathes music to this day. But Ruth was not always able to immerse herself in her first love. For 27 years, she lived to serve and protect the streets of Los Angeles with the Los Angeles Police Department, ultimately assigned as a supervising investigator for the District Attorney’s office. She loved her work and the people she worked with, but needless to say, it was stressful. This beautiful woman has had her nose broken in fights while doing her job. Still she felt many times she was in a position to help and reflects on her past career with fondness. Now, retired, she is able to continue her ability to manage and coordinate in the industry that inspires her most. But she’s not done giving of herself, even in this capacity.
Ruth Ruiz, through her company RR Class Act Entertainment, is bringing in some of the Jazz industry’s most brilliant performers, producing a wonderful jazz series that will be benefitting several valuable charities right here in the desert. The first Jazz concert of four, spanning over the next four months, will be held Sunday, January 27th at 6 pm in Fantasy Springs Casino’s Cabazon Room. The phenomenal Rose Mallet will be performing. This beautiful singer began her singing career at the age of 16 and worked around infamous Motown recording artists like Marvin Gaye and Motown producer, Hal Davis. You can find out more about Rose and hear her beautiful voice at rosemallette.com
This concert will benefit Rosie’s Kids; a non-profit organization whose goal is to help all kids succeed. This charity is designed to allow kids to participate in sports, music art and dance despite their financial limitations. Rosie’s Kids believes that sports help kids become healthier, fosters self-esteem through the healthy exchange of encouragement, teaches good sportsmanship, and helps kids perform better in school. They believe that music helps kids learn to express their identities, gain confidence and develop a sense of time and space. They believe that art helps kids open their minds to a whole new world of possibilities, be creative, be innovative, and learn problem-solving skills. They also believe that dance helps kids build self-esteem, coordination, balance, and poise. Rosie’s Kids believe that every child should have the opportunity to participate in any of these activities without financial situations standing between them and their dreams.
Other shows in the RR Class Act Entertainment Jazz Series at the Fantasy Springs Casino, Cabazon Room will include:
- February 17th ~ The Heat Wave Jazz and Show Band: Formed in the fall of 2007 and originally dubbed the Boys & Girls Club Jazz Band, this high intensity performance group has helped create other programs to round out what is now The Music Program of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Coachella Valley. The band will be accompanied by the popular vocalist, EeVaan Tre and will benefit Red Hot Ball Room, a children’s after school dance program. This 501c(3) non-profit corporation was established to bring ballroom dancing into the schools. Ballroom dancing is the vehicle to teach the 4th, 5th & 6th grade students the social graces (confidence, self-esteem and respect for others) and good physical health over a 28 week program culminating in May Dance Competitions.
- March 10th: Jazz trumpeter, Steve Madaio and his band. Steve has lived the life most musicians dream of. Along with David Sandborn, he performed on stage at Woodstock with the Butterfield Blues Band. He toured and recorded with the legendary Janis Joplin, and enjoyed two world tours with the Rolling Stones. Additionally, Steve has toured and recorded with Stevie Wonder, John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, Madonna and Barbra Streisand to name but a few. This concert will be benefiting Pegasus Riding Academy for the Handicapped. Riders come from all three of the Coachella Valley’s Unified School Districts severely Multiple Handicapped and M/M classes. Pegasus provides the buses that transport these riders to the Riding Academy. Some of our riders are from Angel View Crippled Children’s Foundation, Palm Springs Stroke Recovery Center, Desert Arc, The Braille Institute and others are referred from the United Cerebral Palsy Association, Autism Association, and ACT for MS, The Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center, Private Physicians, and physical therapists.
- April 28th: Jimmy Dykes and his band, featuring Mark Carter in “Brass and Strings” will perform. This concert will be a compilation of some of the most sought after musicians in the industry. They will be benefiting Find Food Bank. For the past 27 years FIND (Food In Need of Distribution) has provided much needed food assistance, nutritional education and basic essential items to those in need in Eastern Riverside and Southern San Bernardino and is a partner of the nationally known organization “Feeding America”.
For more information, you can contact Ruth Ruiz at 760-777-2328, email: rrclassact@aol.com or visit her website at rrclassactentertainment.com.
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