Runaway Express

Colorado's Runaway Express may not be widely known outside of the Rocky Mountain region, but they've issued quite a few albums over the years, have built up a repertoire of 1,200 songs, and have backed such renowned artists as Chuck Berry, the "Ragin' Cajun" Doug Kershaw, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's John McEuen and Jimmy Ibbotson. The Runaway Express' leaders have remained singer/guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Jim Ratts and singer Salli Ratts, who are currently joined by fellow members Scott Bennett (guitar), Chris Stongle (percussion), Ted Cole (flute, sax, vocals), Dr. Daniel Jones (pedal steel), and Ernie Martinez (banjo). On stage, Runaway Express mixes original compositions with a healthy dose of rock and roll/folk covers of the '50s and '60s, while such guests as David Bromberg, Michael Martin Murphey, the Kingston Trio, and John Prine have jammed with the group. The '90s saw release of such albums as Port of Mystery, Tilt A World, From the Archives, and a Buddy Holly tribute, Yeah, Buddy!, as the band won several local awards for their musical accomplishments. In addition to their Runaway Express duties, Jim Ratts has penned songs for the Limeliters, the Kingston Trio, and the Dillards, and has played with the side project, the Wild Jimbos, from time to time (issuing such albums as a self-titled debut and Wild Jimbos II). Additionally, Salli Ratts has issued her own solo album, Now & Then. ~ Greg Prato, Rovi