Presented by Black Fly Jam in collaboration with Algoma Conservatory Concerts
Ray Bonneville- New Music Release Matinee
Sunday October 22, 2023 — 3pm
Ray recorded his first album, On the Main, in 1992. “On The Blind Side” is his tenth.
In his own words, “the last few years have given me time to shine a light on my inner self. Several songs were conceived many years ago, but the honesty and ability to bring them into the light has just come recently, with writing ability to synthesize my feelings and make them clear. I understand my syncopation and delivery better than ever, and to work with Will Sexton has always been a goal of mine. His melodic and fluid playing, on both bass and electric guitar makes this a very special recording.”
Ray’s other recordings have earned him wide critical and popular acclaim, and won an enthusiastic following in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Awards include a prestigious Juno, the Canadian equivalent of a Grammy, for his 1999 album, Gust of Wind. In 2012, Ray won the solo/duet category in the Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge. His post-Katrina ode, “I Am the Big Easy,” earned the International Folk Alliance’s 2009 Song of the Year Award, placed number one on Folk Radio’s list of most-played songs of 2008, and was recently covered by Jennifer Warnes for the BMG label.
Other notable artists who have recorded his songs include Ronnie Hawkins (“Foolish”) and Slaid Cleaves (“Run Jolee Run”). Ray has shared the bill with blues heavyweights Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Dr. John, J.J. Cale, and Robert Cray, and has guested on albums by Mary Gauthier, Gurf Morlix, Eliza Gilkyson, Ray Wylie Hubbard, and other prominent musicians. He has performed at renowned venues around the world, including South by Southwest, Folk Alliance, and Montreal International Jazz Festival, and plays over 100 shows per year across the U.S., Canada, and Europe. When not on the road, he resides in Austin, Texas and a summer camp on the shores of Gichi-gami.
“Ray Bonneville has taken a long and imaginative path in a remarkable music career that has taken him all over North America and Europe. Playing in his signature style and voice, Ray’s impressive catalogue reflects a keen eye for interesting characters and the common struggles we all face in everyday life.”
Adrian Villaca, The Borderline