Ruf Cut History
Ruf Cut Grass debuted at Bluegrass on the Bay 2007 in Great Falls, Montana and became a crowd favorite—a team of local musicians who managed to hold their own when compared to the national touring group headlining the event. The sound was polished and listeners couldn’t believe that Ruf Cut Grass had only been playing together weeks, not years! Their performance served as testament to the musicianship of the band members and their desire to entertain.
Ruf Cut Grass showed that a superior sound can result by assembling experienced musicians, throwing in the right leadership, and adding dedication and heart. Bluegrass on the Bay committee members first heard Pat Ruf and Jeni Dodd—the “core” of Ruf Cut Grass—singing classic country and old time songs at a gig in Great Falls in the fall of 2006. The committee approached the duo and asked “Do you know any bluegrass.” As it turned out, both Ruf and Dodd not only knew but could play a bushel of bluegrass and old time music. The seeds of a new band were sown. Dodd quickly organized a project band for Bluegrass on the Bay 2007.
The one-time-only band proved so popular with the audience that they were invited back to headline Bluegrass on the Bay 2008. One of the key players had moved out of state but Dodd didn’t panic—she recruited another multi-instrumentalist that she knew could handle the task. Ruf Cut Grass again proved a crowd favorite at the event, pleasing the audience with their strong instrumentals, stellar vocals, song selection and fun on stage. They were asked to appear again at the event in 2009.
After Bluegrass on the Bay 2009, Dodd decided to bring the Ruf Cut sound to more venues across Montana and the Northwest.