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After paying their dues in clubs, Grievous Angels gained a national following. Their 1990 debut album, One Job Town (Stony Plain), scored rave reviews with many critics singling out Rumball's passionate voice for special mention. Michelle, however, quit Grievous Angels in 1991 to follow her own muse and find her own voice. "I have great memories of that band, but i was not singing my own music. I needed to grow," she now reflects.
A key element in her creative evolution was a two-year sojourn in New Orleans. The invigorating musical and cultural gumbo that is the Crescent City would help Rumball find her true colours. "The night before i left town, I put a band together with the Royal Fingerbowl guys (local heroes), and it was perfect. It gave me the confidence to know i could put a band together and lead it."
Back in Toronto, Michelle concentrated on writing her own material, and soon began performing again in Toronto clubs. She's contributed to the recent recordings by Kyp Harness, Pat Temple and Mad Love, and collaborations with multi-talented singer/songwriter Kevin Quain, a key component of her current band. Her songs refuse to be constrained by genrre pigeonholing seamlessly reflecting blues, r&b, gospel, folk and country. Sprinkled among her original songs, her recent live sets have included gems from Richard Thompson, Marcia Ball, Peter Case and fellow Torontonians Ron Sexsmith, Kyp Harness and Scott (B.) Bradshaw.
Michelle's long-awaited debut "Terrain" was released in December 2001. "Terrain" was recorded live off the floor with next to no overdubs in the gorgeously renovated church that is now Catherine North Studios in Hamilton (Martin Tielli's We Didn’t Even Suspect That He Was The Poppy Salesman CD was also recorded here) and produced by Dave "Rave" Des Roches (Teenage Head/The Shakers/Dave Rave Conspiracy) and studio engineer, Glenn Marshall. The recording was designed to capture the energy, spirit and depth of feeling of Michelle's performances and serves as a living testimonial to the musical magic that is Michelle Rumball.
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