Ray Harris CD Release Friday Jan. 13 2012 at Elmdale House Tavern -
$10 at the door, 19+.
It’s been almost two years but the new Ray Harris CD “Poorly Kept
Secrets” is finally ready to see the light of day. Come on down to
help celebrate this sophomore release with Ray Harris & The BSOBs
(Standup Steve Donnelly, Ernie “Legend” Basiliadis, Ryan Barwin and
Jamie Guitar) with openers Al Wood & The Woodsmen.
Reprising their parts on the album will be a bevy of special guests
including: Karolyne Lafortune, Marie-Josée Houle, Sherwood Lumsden,
Peter Pritchard, Alanna George, Shawn Brown, Patsy Clash, Jack Arnold,
Rob Smith, Greg Kelly, Lefty McRighty and possibly more!
About the CD:
Produced by Ray Harris and Stephen K. Donnelly (The Kingmakers, Uncle
Sean & The Shifty Drifters, Huntley Slim), “Poorly Kept Secrets” is
Ray’s second CD, featuring 15 original tunes spanning the roots-rock
and “Canadian Americana” spectrum. Recorded at Steve’s TenVolt Audio
studio and at times dubbed “Pet Smile” due to the sheer number of
instruments and guests on some tunes, the album represents close to a
year of recording, arranging and refining Ray’s collection of new
tunes. Augmenting the acoustic guitar/electric guitar, bass & drums
foundation are everything from bass harmonica to jaw harp, baritone
guitar to dobro, pedal steel to saxophone and trombone, harmonica to
accordion, and a few other things we’re trying to forget about.
The result is an at-times cacophonous, at times wistful voyage through
the heart and soul of a singer-songwriter forging his own sound in the
Canadian musical landscape.
About Ray Harris:
Born in Bowmanville, Ontario and raised in Shawville, QC, Harris is a
20-year veteran of the Ottawa scene, having played with with the
Sunbleached Skulls, Lefty McRighty, George Stryker & the Bandits,
Mustang Ranch, The Willies, as well as hosting dozens of songwriter
circles, charity and tribute shows.
Harris has played the annual Gram Parsons Tribute in Waycross, GA four
years in a row and appeared in the Ottawa Opry in April 2011, as well
as playing ongoing regular shows and hosting the monthly songwriter
circle (with his son-in-law Lefty McRighty) at the Elmdale Tavern for
over a year.
Ray’s sound incorporates influences as diverse as the cosmic space
music of Gram Parsons, the Flying Burrito Brothers and The Byrds, the
classic country of Hank Williams and Johnny Cash, the Americana of
John Hiatt, Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley and the Canadiana of The
Band, Hank Snow, Gordon Lightfoot and Neil Young.
Ray’s backing band The BSOBs comprises veterans of the Canadian music
scene including “Standup” Steve Donnelly (The Kingmakers, Ninety
Pounds of Ugly, Uncle Sean, Jimmy George, Mystic Zealots), Anastasios
“Ernie Legend” Basiliadis (Mike Plume Band, The Populars), Ryan
Barwin, and Jamie Guitar (Liquorbox, The Hobo Outlaws). The BSOBs
bring life to Ray’s songs and provide the solid foundation on which
they rest.
