Album Notes

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Peace Stream Records announces the Sept. 15, 2009 release of BLUE MARA, Jeff Ray’s fourth and most ambitous
recording to date. BLUE MARA takes the resonator slide-guitar to a dark new playground of early 60’s Chicago-blues
and 1920’s pre-war blues, and melds the two with the pervasive rhythms of appalachia and the intriguing nature of east-
Indian melodies. BLUE MARA’s uncanny mixture of musical styles leads some to call it International Roots Music.
Other people familiar with the sounds of the roots and blues music of the upper Midwest call the style Headwater Blues.

BLUE MARA contains 11 original tracks and one cover song “Can’t Lose What You Ain’t Never Had”, written by the late
Muddy Waters. Ray wrote the songs for the album over the course of heavy gigging and touring since his critically
acclaimed 2007 CD release LAST GREAT WINTER. On BLUE MARA, Ray’s backbeat foot-stompin’ style, initially
inspired by a gig he shared with Chris Smither, once again becomes the rhythmic focus for the album.
BLUE MARA was recorded on an 8-track reel-to-reel in Jeff Ray’s living room and at Owl Recording in Minneapolis by
Paul Flynn. The recording method and relaxed lo-fi quality of the CD gives the music the feel of an old Chess Studios
recording.

The album boasts the handiwork of the finest crop of Minnesota musicians, including: Nick Salisbury on bass
guitar (Mick Sterling’s Irresistables / Mary Cutrufello / GB Leighton / Ashleigh Still / etc), Mikkel Beckmen on washboard
(The Brass Kings / Charlie Parr), Harold Tremblay on harmonica (Cool Disposition / Summit Stunt Pilots), Brianna Lane
on harmony vocals, Tim Zhorne on percussion, Monica Digre on ‘cello, Chris Becknell on fiddle (The Poor Nobody’s) and
Chris Hepola on percussion (The Poor Nobody’s).