Gotta Fever Tonight - Musik

There Appears To Be More Than One Artist That Goes By The Name Ray Fuller. Two Of Them Are Mentioned Below. Ray Fuller I. There’s An Understanding Among Artists Of All Walks That The Most Gifted Make Their Statements With The Most Refinement. From Picasso And Rembrandt To Miles And B.B. At The Height Of Their Artistry Each Was Able To Express Volumes With A Few Precise Brush Strokes Or One And Well Placed Note. Chicago Native Ray Fuller A Guitarist Composer And Band Leader Blessed With Limitless Capacities For Taste Economy And Sensitivity Is Well On The Road To Such Refinement Though It’s Mostly Been Other Musicians Who Have Realize It... That Will Change Upon The Release Of Ray Fuller’s First Album As A Leader "The Weeper" Its Title Taken From The Nickname He Was Given By None Other Than World Class Musician George Duke. From Hard Working Teen On The Scene In The ‘70s To A-List Session Player And World Touring Guitarist/Musical Director In The Present Ray Fuller Has Earned The Enviable Title Of The Chosen Few In His Profession That Of Musician’s Musician.” For Three Decades Ray Has Been Honing His Skills In The Service Of Some Of The Greatest Asked Most Diversified Artists Of All-Time. His Resume Includes Legends Curtis Mayfield Quincy Jones Roebuck “Pops Staples & The Staple Singers Nancy Wilson And “Mr. Motown” Himself Berry Gordy. It Also Includes All-Around Musician / Producers Such As George Duke Stanley Clarke Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds David Foster And Mike Post. It Includes Vocal Divas Dionne Warwick Natalie Cole Whitney Houston Anita Baker And Oleta Adams. And It Includes Contemporary Gospel Royalty The Winans Kirk Franklin Tramaine Hawkins And Yolanda Adams. This First Solo Project Has Been A Long Time Coming For Fuller.’l Started Thinking About How Much Life Had Crept Up On Me ” He Muses.”A Musician Known For Supporting Others And Very Satisfied With That Began To See That Life Had Become Far Too Easy. I Started Thinking About My Children How One Day They Would Want To Know About Who Their Daddy Was As An ‘artiste.’ I Figured I’d Better Start Thinking About MY Legacy And Getting A Story Told.” Ray Was Gently Pushed Into This More Foreground Position By Several People Who Recognized His Greater Potential As A Lead Artist. One Was The Late Artist Manager Howard Lowell Who Told Ray He Envisioned Him Playing Beautiful Melodies. Peer Saxophonist Everette Harp Keenly Elaborates ‘Ray’s Ability To Subtly Emote Through His Guitar Is Merely An Extension Of His Soul.With The Exception Of The Late Great Eric Gale I Have Never Heard Anyone Play This Style. And The Weeper Has Taken It A Step Or Two Further.’ Perhaps The Biggest Push Came In 1997 In The Form Of Some Tough Love From Ray’s Frequent Employer George Duke. When Ray Asked Him To Produce Some Music For Him Duke Said ”No Because You Already Know What You Want. All Of The Choices That You Make Around For Me Are The Same Ones You Need To Go Ahead And Make For Yourself.” “I Was Frustrated With The Overall Musicianship As It Related To Artistry Vs. Business ” Ray Explains. “I Always Felt I Could Make Radio-Friendly Music Yet Keep My Natural Integrity. Just Call What I Do ‘funky Deep!’We Can Groove But With A Level Of Musicianship Where We Don’t Have To Be Shallow About It.” The Weeper Album Introduces Ray Not Only As A Spotlighted Musician But As A Keen Arranger And Heartfelt Composer Note Ray's Very First Composition "Tell Me This Night Won't End" Was Recorded On Soul Singer Gerald Alston's Motown Solo Album Open Invitation . For This Album The Reluctant Writer Even Stumbled Upon A DAT Of The Song 'Friday " Which He'd Co-Written With Jeff Lorber Four Years Ago! He Swiftly Added It To The Weeper's Tune Stack. He Wound Up Composing Another Song Weeper's Thang " On-The-Spot Just Before A Session With Keyboardist Dave Kochanski. Ray Relays "Dave Went In One Room And I Went In Another. I Came Up With A Groove In C-Minor. He Came Up With A Verse And A Bridge. Our Individual Pieces Fit Like A Glove." Ray And Dave Also Co-Composed The Lush Evocation Of Mediterranean Delights "Spanish Flyer." Ray Returns To The Tropics On Two Warm And Inviting Instrumental Covers Of The Brazilian Pieces 'Particlo Alto" And "She Walks This Earth" The Latter Written By Acclaimed Composer And Artist In His Own Right Ivan Lins . However The Album's Powerful Original Is Arguably "Speak Brother " A Sunny Affirmation Of Righteous Communication That Could Bring The Widest Of Grins To The Most Evil Of Faces 'I Wanted To Convey Energy With Something That Says 'Showtime "' Ray Reflects. "Going Through A Lot Of Spiritual Awakening I Wanted To Use As Many Opportunities On This Album As Possible To Express Something A Little Deeper. Jazz And Blues Are Deeply Rooted Inside Me But I Also Wanted This Particular Song To Have A Gospel Feeling Within The Vocabulary." Ray Picked Up Another Song From Mutual Friends Larry Kimpel A Superb Bassist And Monty Seward A Prolific R&B Lyricist . Titled "Free Spirit 'this Piece Was Originally Submitted But Rejected For A George Benson Project."When I Heard It " Ray Shares "I Loved The Hip-Hop Bounciness Of It But Felt It Could Be Smoothed Out With A More Sophisticated Elastic Arrangement" A Perfect Description Of The Result . Lovers Of Classic R&B And Jazz Have An Unbeatable Buffet Of Sensitively Arranged Cover Songs To Choose From On The Weeper. Ray Who Is Magnetically Drawn To The Drama In Any Good Piece Of Music Hand-Picked Pieces That Have Inspired Him For Decades To Refashion In His Own Sweet Way."I Don't Believe In Covering A Song Straight Up And Down " Fuller Schools."I Picked Songs For Their Melodies And Dynamics. And They Must Have A Whole Lot Of SouI." Ray Worked His Magic On Two Motown Classics. First There's "If You Really Love Me " A Stevie Wonder & Syreeta Wright Composition From Wonder's1971 Album Where I'm Coming From That Is Renowned For Its Dual Tempo And Ride And Fall Dynamics. Then From Ten Years Later 1981 Is Singer/songwriter Teena Marie's "Portugese Love " A Soulful Latin Jazz Rendezvous Of Breathtaking Romance.In Both Cases Fuller Tastefully Tempers The Dynamics And Adds Subtle Nuances That Will Surprise And Satisfy Fans Of The Originals. The Late Great John Coltrane's Timeless "Naima" Made Famous On The Saxophonist's Classic 1959 Atlantic Records Album Giant Steps Has Inspired Many Covers. Ray's Will Stand Among The Most Moving Thanks To His Brilliantly Subdued Use Of Branford Marsalis On Soprano Saxophone Introducing The Melody On The Head And Adding A Lovely Coda At The End Which Bookends Two Amazing Solos From Fuller On Guitar And Pianist Terry Trotter. The Remaining Two Covers Were Perhaps Most Challenging Of All Given That They Both Have Several Already "definitive Renderings." "Superstar " Composed By '70s Rock Star Leon Russell With Lyricist Bonnie Bramlett Was Made Famous First By Brother And Sister Duo The Carpenters Featuring The Late Lamented Karen Carpenter The Soulfully Redone In The '80s By The Masterful Luther Vandross . Ray Loves Other Versions But Found His Own Singular Way To Tell The Story By Milking The Slow Tempo Caressing The Melody Softly With His Guitar Then On The Galvanizing Closing Choruses Having Phil Perry Answer His Lines With Crescenclos Of Impassioned Vocal Adlibs. Perry Returns On A Cover Of The Isley Brothers'credo Of The Hard Laboring Man Work To Do" Later Revisited In The '80s In A Battle-Of-The-Sexes Flip By Vanessa Williams Within An Unbelievably Smoothed-Out Arrangement That Might Make Ronald "Mr. Biggs'lsley Himself Jealous. Joining Phil At The Mic On Background Vocals Here Is Ray's Sweetheart Michele Cox Who Hadn't Sung Professionally In Years . "My Baby Must Have Been Dying Inside But You'd Never Know It " Ray Says With Pride.'She Was Poker-Faced Strong On The Outside Soft On The Inside Just Like Me.' Praising All Of The Participants-Friends First Musicians Second-Fuller States Every One Is A Master Of Texture And Space.They Are Virtuosos On Their Instruments But They Know When And How To Play What's Needed Within A Song.The Making Of The Weeper His First Album As A Leader Is Something Ray Fuller Sums Up With A Tired But Happy Shrug As A Challenging But Much Needed And Appreciated "process." The Sheer Determination That Fuller Had To Finish This Project In The Face Of Ceaseless Personal Distractions Is A Shining Testament To His Commitment To Seeing It Through. "It's Just Real And A Long Time Coming " Ray Concludes. There's Always Something Else For A Popular Musician To Do But At Some Point We Know When It's Time To Tell Our Ownstory. I Don't Think I Was Prepared To Tell The Story Before. I'm Not Saying It's Absolutely Necessary For An Artist To Go Through Tragedy And Drama Before They Can Tell A Story Worthy Of Listening To. It's More About Fully Having Something Of Value To Say Musically And Having A Well-Rounded Vocabulary With Which To 'speak'it " A. Scott Galloway Ray Fuller II. RAY FULLER From New Albany Ohio Was Given His First Guitar At The Age Of 8 A Gibson Melody Maker. At An Early Age Fuller Was Inspired By The British Invasion Rolling Stones Yardbirds And The Animals Bands. Fuller's First Blues Album He Ever Heard Was John Mayall And The Blues Breakers Featuring Eric Clapton. "I Could Tell Good Blues Guitar When I Heard It...It Was Different." Fuller's Passion For The Blues Was Fueled With The Discovery Of The Original Blues Greats John Lee Hooker Muddy Waters BB King Elmore James. Young Ray Fuller Was Especially Fond Of John Lee Hooker. The Ray Fuller Band Was Formed In 1974 Evolving Into Ray Fuller And The Bluesrockers In 1978 Releasing A Self Titled Album On Vinyl And Fuller Has Not Looked Back Since. Mastering His Craft Throughout The 80's And 90's Fuller Was Quick To Become The "go To Act" Throughout Ohio To Open For Iconic Blues Musicians Such As Muddy Waters John Lee Hooker Stevie Ray Vaughan Buddy Guy Junior Wells And Albert Collins To Name A Few. MUDDY WATERS After Witnessing An Opening Act Performance By Ray Fuller On Slide Guitar Exclaimed For All To Hear "That Was Some Hot Slide Boy! I Could Smell The Smoke Backstage! JOHN LEE HOOKER Was So Impressed With The Band And Their Performance That He Took Ray And His Entire Band And The John Lee Hooker Band Out To Dinner And Picked Up The Tab. He Then Invited Ray Fuller To Be His Special Guest At His Next Show 100 Miles Away The Very Next Day! These Opportunities To Hang Out And Learn At The Feet Of The Masters Were Not Wasted On Young Ray. He Paid Close Attention To Every Pearl Of Wisdom And Every Nasty Riff And Blues Lick Generously Shown To Him As An Eager Student Of The Blues. In 1989 Fuller Began Touring As Far West As Colorado South To Florida And North To Michigan And New York. Fuller Released "Damn Guitars" In 1989 Which Was Quick To Become A Top Seller For Rounder Records Followed By "Ray Fuller And The Bluesrockers Live" In 1992. Touring Paused With The End Of Fuller's Marriage Which Ended In True Blues Fashion In 1995. This Break Up Inspired Many Great Songs Still Receiving Airplay Today. Fuller Went On To Release "Pearlene" In 1997 Twist Of Fate In 1999 And In 2003 "Live Rockin' The Blues." With New Determination In 2009 Fuller Pressed On. In 2010 Fuller Played His First Overseas Show At The Vodacom Ampitheatre In Port Elizabeth South Africa Donating All Proceeds To A Local South African Friend/fellow Musician Whose Daughter Was Fighting A Life Threatening Illness. Under New Management In 2010 Fuller Began Focusing On His Passion For Slide Guitar Playing In His Own Style Which Has Been Compared To And Inspired By Elmore James Hound Dog Taylor And Even Earl Hooker Cousin Of John Lee Hooker . Fuller Found Himself In Demand With Renewed Focus On His Unique Style Of "Rockin' Slide Guitar Blues" Playing Major Blues Festivals In Both USA Canada And Europe! Coming Full Circle From Being A Young Musician/painter Straight Out Of Columbus College Of Art & Design Opening Up For The Great Buddy Guy Ray Fuller Is Now A Saturday Night Headliner At The World Famous Buddy Guy's Legends Chicago IL! In-Fact Fuller Had The Honor And Rare Privilege Of Recording Ray Fuller And The Bluesrockers "LIVE At Buddy Guy's Legends" With Mr. Buddy Guy In Attendance! "LIVE At Buddy Guy's Legends" CD Was Released April 15 2014 And Spent 16 Months On The RMR Blues And Rock Charts! In 2014 And 2016 Ray Fuller Crisscrossed Germany Belgium Netherlands And France With Audiences Demanding As Many As FIVE ENCORES-Venues Packed To The Gills-Leaving Fans Screaming-Stomping-Chanting-Demanding More At Every Show! Ray Fuller's Immediate Focus Is On Bringing His Unique "Rockin' Slide Guitar Blues" To Blues Festivals And Major Blues Venues Throughout USA Canada Europe And Beyond Putting On High Energy Dynamic Performances Full Of Fire And Energy Audiences Won't Soon Forget! "Sounds Like Elmore James And Hound Dog Taylor Tempered With The Rowdiness Of George Thorogood." -- Guitar Player Magazine
The Bluesrockers Harmonicist Doc Malone Brings A Ton Of Stage Presence With His Performances! Bassist Glen "Manny" Manuel And Drummer Darrell Jumper Are The Driving Force Behind Our Tight Rhythm Section! "Totally In The Pocket" -Living Blues Magazine Together They Are An Unstoppable Force Of Rockin' Blues Energy! Website Ray Fuller And The Bluesrockers read less