Toronto's Eric St-Laurent trio is a jazz band with roots in Afro- Cuban rhythms and elements of jazz and blues joined together. Comprised of Eric St-Laurent (guitar), Michel DeQuevedo (percussion) and Jordan O'Connor (bass), the band had a strange assortment of encounters before settling down to make music as a trio.

To begin with, St-Laurent and O'Connor met twice: once while working on a recording session and then a decade later at an apartment party. Though they didn't recognize each other, someone told them they had worked on the same album the decade before and peculiar encounters ensued.

DeQuevedo and St-Laurent met while at a jazz club in 2001, downing shots of tequila, and later reencountered each other in 2007 while living on the same street.

The trio have been familiar in the jazz community in Toronto and the Toronto Jazz Festival.

Ruby is a good album, but it lacks something that could bring it more to the forefront. The melodies are slightly repetitive and one begins to suspect how the next melody will carry out. Vocals can enhance a jazz album and with repetition carrying on, it makes for a nice break.

"Umumamatheka" is a standout track, showing some uniqueness and pretty world music harmonies. That's also the point during the album where things begin to pick up. "Wild Intent" is also strong and awakens the steel drum playing of the band. "Breaking at the Seams" displays some strong vocal ability by Julie Crochtiere and brings the album some more power.

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