Slide guitarist slips into new CD
9/17/2009

By Christina Killion Valdez
Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN

Using an 8-track reel-to-reel recorder set up in his living room, slide guitarist Jeff Ray captured just the right sound for his latest acoustic roots and blues CD. That sound being inspired by the old Chess Studios recordings of Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson and Willie Dixon that defined Chicago blues.

At least that's the base of Ray's fourth CD, "Blue Mara," released Sept. 15 on Peace Stream Records. From there Ray, who grew up in Rochester and graduated from John Marshall High School in 1995 before traveling to Memphis, Madison and the Twin Cities, melds his resonator slide-guitar and foot-stompin' style with some 1920's pre-war blues, Appalachia rhythms and east-Indian melodies. The mixture of musical styles has been called "international roots music" or more aptly, within the Midwest's roots music community, "headwater blues."

"Blue Mara" contains 11 original tracks, written by Ray while touring for his critically acclaimed 2007 CD release "Last Great Winter," and a cover of Muddy Waters'"Can't Lose What You Ain't Never Had."

A slate of musicians are also featured on the CD, including Nick Salisbury on bass guitar, Mikkel Beckmen on washboard, Harold Tremblay on harmonica, Brianna Lane on harmony vocals, Chris Becknellon fiddle, Chris Hepola on percussion, Monica Digre on cello and Tim Zhorne on percussion.

Additional recording was done at Owl Recording in Minneapolis by Paul Flynn.