Ray Korona Band - It's Still the 60's
The musicianship on the band's best selling CD is really exciting: John McCutcheon contributes his incomparable hammer dulcimer playing; Barry Mitterhoff plays everybody's socks off on his mandolin; Perry Robinson adds his internationally respected clarinet... As they say, the list goes on-- and that's without even mentioning all the harmony vocals...
Ray Korona writes stirring songs about working, the environment, fighting the system and homelessness along with heartfelt songs of love, friendship and peace. A founding member of American Federation of Musicians Local 1000, Ray's songs vary from the satirical and topical to ballads, chorus and story songs. "Free Harbors" was a winner of the Mobilization for Survival's peace song contest. Another song, "Where Do We Go From Here?, sparked a New York Magazine cover story on the city's housing crisis. A health care rights song, "Send Me An Ambulance" was featured on national public radio and sung at major Jobs With Justice rallies. A song against child labor has been published around the world by the UN's International Labor Office and used in its work on this issue. In style, Ray's music is very diverse-- from French folk rock to traditional to contemporary acoustic.
Ray performs both solo and with a unique collective of musical organizers, The Ray Korona Band. The Band is a core group of musicians-- Ivice (harmonies & dulcimers), Barry Kornhauser (bass, cello & mandola), Sharon Abreu (harmonies & fiddle) and Ellen Davidson (harmonies & piano) that works with a wide variety of players who bring racial, cultural and musical diversity to its work. Occasionally, guest musicians like John McCutcheon, Barry Mitterhoff, Gina Tlamsa and Perry Robinson sit in and record with the group as well. Ray has performed in concert with Pete Seeger, Patti Smith, Harry Belafonte, Tom Paxton, Anne Feeney, Richie Havens, Pat Humphries, Leon Rosselson and others, at Peoples Voice Cafe, Bread & Roses Concert Hall, Fast Folk, The Village Gate, Speakeasy, 22 Below, Folk City in NYC and in concerts, coffee houses, demonstrations and folk festivals around the country. Due to the topical nature of his material, Ray and the band are often in demand for conferences and college programs where the lyrics are important to the interests and pursuits of these audiences.
A Fast Folk reviewer wrote of a Greenwich Village show: "The concert hall was packed to hear Ray Korona perform a well rehearsed, balanced program...refreshingly new...wonderfully perceptive and funny!" A Sing Out! reviewer exclaims: "Ray Korona's songs are empowering and fun!" Pete Seeger declares, "Ray Korona and band are great!" Ramsey Clark observes, "Terrific organizing music! People need to hear these songs." Songwriter's Hall of Fame President Oscar Brand raves: "I think Ray Korona's terrific. I like his songs. I like his singing. I even like his glasses."
The Ray Korona Band's CDs and tapes include, The People Are In Charge!, the $5 Working People's Music Tape, featuring new songs on current labor issues (also on CD), A Friend Like You, It's Still the 60's (as long as government and corporations keep beating us up!), and Free Harbors. Ray also released a cassette single in support of universal health care: Send Me An Ambulance, a cassette with Charlie King: Fight the Contract on America and the Stars Who are Selling It! and Sanctions, a CD single about the sanctions in Iraq. Some of Ray's songs have also been featured in compilation recordings of multiple performers.
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