When Carmen Ratti and Jill Dineen each jump on a Zoom video call from their respective phones on a Tuesday afternoon, both are clearly outdoors.
“Check this out!” Ratti says, turning his screen around to show what looks like a stage setup under clear blue skies. A stage that The Carmen Ratti Band Featuring Jill Dineen will soon occupy, playing the blues to an audience of San Franciscans. “We start in about a half an hour, but let’s talk!”
The pair certainly have a lot to talk about with the release of their second album and first for new label MoMojo Records, Come to Me. Its 11 blues-based tracks feature organ-drenched grooves (“I Can See,” “Riley,” “About You”), funk (“Coming Down”), ballads (“Come to Me”), Southern rock (“Uncle Joe”), soul (“Get in Line”) and even gospel (“Blessing in the Blues”).
It’s a follow up to their 2021 debut The Road Back and features Ratti (guitar) and Dineen (vocals), alongside current backing band Randy Hayes (drums), Steve Hazelwood (bass), and Tony “Macaroni” Lufrano (keyboards). It was recorded in San Jose’s Greaseland Studios, owned and run by the ubiquitous guitarist/producer Christoffer “Kid” Andersen, who also sat in the producer’s chair.
“We wanted to get this out there because we have more vision on this one. Things got more serious, especially after we [competed] in the International Blues Challenge in 2024 in Memphis. And with Jill’s leadership, we wanted it to sound like it does when we play live,” Ratti says.
For her part, Dineen also sees Come to Me as a turning point for their career. “I’m happy to see that people are really connecting with this, especially the songwriting. We’re grateful the team came together. We’ve both been doing this a long time, and it’s great to see the response.”
The two first melded their musical ambitions in 2018 when Dineen joined Ratti’s existing group, using the San Francisco Bay area as their homebase. Both say it was a no-brainer to return to Greaseland and Kid Andersen to make the second record.
“He is omnipresent!” Dineen laughs. “He’s brilliant and a one and only. He’s quick and probably has the best ear in the business. He’s editing your takes while you’re performing them in the studio. He creates an atmosphere of freedom,” she says. “And he’s hilarious! He’s got a dry sense of humor that helps grease the wheels. No pun intended!”
A glance at the song credits for Come to Me reveal a variety of entries. Some are written by Ratti or Dineen solo, others are collaborations with each other, and one with a third person. The pair says whatever combination serves the song best usually wins out.
Ratti points to “Blessing in the Blues” as an example. He wanted it to be a gospel-tinged showcase for Dineen’s voice to be played during their slot at the International Blues Challenge. And he wrote the music to match that ambition. Dineen then added the lyrics. He says the same process worked for the title track.
“I wanted an ethereal, melodramatic blues song. We have a lot of songs in the archives for both of us. And because she’s the lead singer, it’s important for her to have a canvas to paint on.”
As for that title track, Dineen notes that at a recent show in Sacramento they weren’t so sure about including it in their set because it’s “a very moody tune.” It was written in grief after her mother died, and she didn’t know if she was “in the head space” to pull it off. But they did. And she was glad.
“After the show, I went out to catch my breath and a woman came up to me in tears because she had also lost her mother recently,” Dineen says. “It’s about connecting to other human beings.”
Asked what makes their Northern California-bred blues different from, say, Chicago or Memphis or even Southern California, the pair point to a heavier R&B and jazz influence when it comes to instrumentation.
“I played in Chicago for five years and fronted by own band in Charlotte, North Carolina for 10. I’ve even been in Houston a lot of times and sung at the Big Easy!” Dineen says. “I believe that each region has its own sort of style and sound. It happens over time.”
Ratti—who currently makes his home in the Sacramento area—says there’s even differences in sounds between cities as close to each other as 90 minutes away.
“They all have a different feel. But I love the diversity in the Bay Area. You’ve got Chris Cain, Aki Kumar, and Rick Estrin and the Nightcats. And in Southern California there’s Josh Smith and Tommy Castro. I love different flavors and styles,” he says.
Finally, in 2026, competition for musicians of any genre to get their work out there to potential ears is in ways both harder and easier than ever.
Harder because of the sheer amount of people making music (whether in a studio or their bedrooms). And easier because with the click of a computer mouse a band can place themselves on Spotify, YouTube, and many other platforms going out to the entire world.
“I tell you what, Carmen and I are taking video classes to sharpen our marketing skills!” Dineen laughs. “We knew we had built something that we loved with this record and hoped others would enjoy it. We shopped it around and jumped in and ran this like a business. We knew we had to go about this differently.”
Ratti concurs. “We have the originals and we have the covers we twist a little differently. The band can play on any stage in the country. The product is there, and how you have to do the legwork. Every day, I’m putting another piece in the puzzle. And that puzzle is giant.”
For more on the Carmen Ratti Band Featuring Jill Dineen, visit CarmenRattiBand.com
