Kevin Ray

Kevin Ray came to music relatively late in life, entering The New School at 25, where he came under the wing of Reggie Workman, a relationship that continues to this day. Under Reggie’s tutelage, he developed an appreciation for the entire spectrum of what is called jazz, as well as an affinity for adventurous artists such as The Art Ensemble of Chicago, Henry Threadgill, The World Saxophone Quartet, Andrew Cyrille, and others. Unsure of himself after college, he managed a department at Forbes Publishing, and worked as a consultant at JPMorgan Chase. At the same time, he came into contact with one of his spiritual mentors, Andrew Hill. “Andrew gave me the confidence to be truly serious about becoming a musician,” Ray explains.

For ten years he played regularly with Hill and continued to expand his horizons by performing and recording with other outstanding artists such as John Hicks, Oliver Lake, Greg Osby, John Stubblefield, Ray Anderson, Elliott Sharp, Hamiet Bluiett, Nels Cline, Ursula Oppens, Ken Peplowski, J.D. Allen, and Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre. At the present time, he is a member of several cooperative ensembles, such as 10³²K, with Frank Lacy and Andrew Drury; BLRZ, with Bobby Zankel, Kelvyn Bell and Tony Lewis; and Shipp/Lowe/Cleaver/Ray with Matthew Shipp, Allen Lowe and Gerald Cleaver.

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