BELLOWS FALLS — Stone Church Arts brings Tim Ray on piano to the Stone Church on the Hill, 20 Church St., at 7:30 p.m., on Saturday, March 7.
On mike, during her 2002 summer tour with Tim, Bonnie Raitt declared, “...and that Tim Ray at the piano - he slays me every single night!” Trumpet legend Herb Pomeroy said, “[Tim Ray] is unquestionably a world-class musician.” Come and be slayed by Tim's genre-defying virtuosity.
Perhaps best known as long-time pianist for Lyle Lovett, Ray's wide-ranging skills as a soloist and accompanist have afforded him the opportunity to perform with legendary performers from all walks of music. Appearing on over 70 recordings to date, Ray has performed in concert with an extensive list of pop music icons, notably Aretha Franklin, Bonnie Raitt, Jane Siberry, and Soul Asylum.
He regularly performs with leading figures in the jazz world, among them Gary Burton, Esperanza Spalding, Phil Woods, Scott Hamilton, Dave Douglas, Brian Blade, Lewis Nash, and Rufus Reid, and his classical credits include solo performances and concerts with Gunther Schuller, the Boston Pops, the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, and the Boston Classical Orchestra.
Ray's busy schedule has included frequent tours throughout the Americas, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, and has included performances at Carnegie Hall, the White House, the Kennedy Center and the 1992 Presidential Inauguration.
He released his first CD as a leader in 1997, “Ideas & Opinions,” on Gunther Schuller's GM Recordings label, which featured drummer Lewis Nash and bassist Rufus Reid. His second self-led CD was released in 2003 , “Tre Corda,” and includes Greg Hopkins on trumpet and Eugene Friesen on cello. This “chamber jazz” trio has just released their next recording, “Squeaky Toy,” which features original compositions and music by Bela Bartok.
Ray also has two new solo piano CDs: a collection of original compositions and improvisations entitled “On My Own, vol. 1 – New Works,” and a soon-to-be-released volume of pieces from some of the great American composers of popular song.