Album Notes

'River Of No Return' (1996) is Roger's latest project, a collaboration with long time musical associate, Ray Legere. Here they combine musical expertise with song selection/arrangement skills. Of the twelve selections, eight are penned by the pair, three of which are vocal arrangements. The music is again that of the bluegrass and country genre. Ray is featured on mandolin, fiddle and rhythm and lead guitar, as well as vocals. Roger handles the dobro and vocals. Other musicians include: Frank Doody on banjo, Brian Arsenault on bass, Jean-Marc Doiron and Darren Farrell on vocals. Bluegrass Now magazine says "Ray Legere and Roger Williams go together like peanut butter and jelly; they bring out the best in each other. River of No Return is a testament to the power of friendship in a musical setting. It is clearly evident on every track that these two fellows love to get together and play music." In their Highlight Review of the project, Bluegrass Unlimited magazine says "It's a torrent of notes, ideas, and moment after moment of enjoyment. You'll tap your foot, lean forward toward your stereo speakers to catch each lively lick, and shake your head in wonderment at how good these guys are....Williams, like all great acoustic slide players, can be mellow and lingering or crisp and jaunty."

RAY LEGERE is the 2003 ECMA (East Coast Music Award) Winner for "Bluegrass Artist Of The Year" which he also won in 1996. The Amherst, Nova Scotia native is becoming known as one of Canada's premiere fiddle/mandolin players. Ray is a five-time winner of the Eastern Division Bluegrass Awards in the categories of Mandolin and Fiddle " Player of the Year", honors which have distinguished him with a "Masters Award" for each. The first year of the awards he captured a total of three, including guitar and was recently awarded the Masters for "Best Fiddle Player" in the Central Canadian Bluegrass Awards. Ray, although not wanting to be a contest player, was selected winner of the 1983 Open Mandolin Championship in Woodstock Ontario, winner of the 1986 Open Mandolin Championship in Winfield, Kansas, and winner of the 1989 Old Time Fiddle Championship in Sackville, New Brunswick. He scored among the top ten in Nashville's Grand Masters Fiddle Championship in 1990 and in Napean, Ontario's 1990 and 1991 Grand Masters Fiddle Championships.
Ray has accomplished many accolades, the most notable playing a concert filling the shoes of an ailing Bill Monroe, the father of Bluegrass Music in 1982. His love for Bluegrass has found him playing alongside his heroes, David Grisman, Sam Bush, Tony Rice, Jerry Douglas, Doc Watson, Bela Fleck, ... and is well respected amongst them.

Ray's talents continue to be recognized and sought out. He has been seen side-manning the likes of Roch Voisine, the Band, the Rankin's, Rita McNeil, the Barra MacNeil's, Chris Cummings and has toured with Tony Rice, with Michelle Shocked throughout Australia, Canada, and the USA, with Alison Brown in California and western Canada. As an ongoing performer of many styles, and playing great stages like the Grand Ol' Opry and Carnegie Hall, Ray currently performs on his own as well as with John McDermott , Eamonn Dillon , Cape Bretons Brakin' Tradition , Rita McNeil, Mike O'Reilly/ Dick Smith Band, The Canadian Grass Unit (with Pickin' Partner Frank Doody) and "Bowfire" (A new and exciting theatre show featuring 10 virtuoso violinists) . Knowing Ray's credits and television experience, CBC asked him to be musical director for a Country music television series out of Fredericton, New Brunswick called "Fiddlehead Country" which was aired in 1997 and again in 1999. Recently, Ray has put together a theatre show called "A Grassroots Jubilee" where he performs the musical styles he enjoys playing. He has recorded on hundreds of sessions and presently has four solo projects of his own. Ray is proud and thankful to be making music his profession and hopes that in striving to be the best he can be, his audience will enjoy his music for years to come.

ROGER WILLIAMS started playing the resophonic, Dobro style guitar in1963, when he was just a young teenager. Within the first year, he had already debuted with The Lilly Bros. and Don Stover at the Hillbilly Ranch in Boston, Mass. where they had performed for nearly two decades. Since then he has gone on to perform and/or record with many well respected Bluegrass and folk acts on the national and international circuit, including Don Stover,White Mountain Bluegrass, Hazel Dickens, Joe Val, Bill Harrell, Wyatt Rice, Delia Bell & Bill Grant, Southern Rail, Ray Legere, Mark Schatz, Mac Wiseman,The New England Bluegrass Band, Salamander Crossing, Amy Gallatin and Stillwaters, Slavek Hanzlik, Mark Erelli, Hiro Arita and others. Career highlights include nine overseas tours with various artists and teaching workshops for Bluegrass Week at the Augusta Heritage Center in Elkins, WV.

The accolades he has received over the years are a testament to his musicianship. The liner notes on a recent Randy Spencer project read "When I sit in the control room and hear tracks that Roger is trying out on dobro, I know I'm in the presence of greatness. Characteristic of a short list of musicians, Roger doesn't merely play along or complement a song, Roger interprets. I don't even start a CD until I call Roger". Roger also has three solo projects: 'Fireball', 'Rt. 2 To Amherst', and 'River Of No Return', a collaboration with long time friend and musical associate Ray Legere. Most recently, Roger has been involved in CMH label's 'Pickin' On' series, where different musical genres are interpreted in the bluegrass vein. Currently Roger is performing with Amy Gallatin and Stillwaters.