Humans may be the only species that are able to reflect on the wonder of participating in creation as we bring our own offspring into the world.
This post is for all my friends who watched Justin grow up and cheered on his career as a professional musician. Justin and Natalie Grinnell Ray are parents of a brand new baby boy, Wyatt Grinnell Ray.
This creative endeavor is just the latest in Justin's accomplishments.
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| Natalie and Wyatt |
About Justin Ray
Justin
Ray has been a professional musician for almost 20 years. While
attending the Berklee College of Music in Boston, he began to earn a
reputation as a fiery and compelling trumpet soloist, comfortable in a
wide variety of styles. After finishing his degree, Ray relocated to
Los Angeles and quickly became one of the most in demand musicians in
the region. He performed regularly with jazz legends like drummers Dave
Weckl and Peter Erskine, vocalist Kurt Elling, pianists Bill Cunliffe
and Alan Pasqua, and a host of others.
In 2003, Ray accepted an offer from Warner Bros. recording artist Michael Buble to join his group.
Photo by Frank Zipperer Image via
"Justin has worked with Michael Buble as an instrumentalist, composer, arranger, etc. Michael Buble said about Justin, "My fondest memory of Justin was at the Las Vegas Hilton in 2006. During Justin's astounding solo on "Smile" one night, a lady in the audience rose to her feet to applaud his performance. She turned out to be Justin's Mum and looked so proud of her immensely talented son up on stage. It was a truly remarkable reaction to an overwhelming performance. As much as Justin plays his heart out every performance, you couldn't help but feel he had found a little something extra that evening to give his mum." From an article by by Eddie LeShure found here
He has toured 45 countries, appeared on Grammy-winning recordings, and has performed at some of the most prestigious venues in the world, such as Madison Square Garden, the Sydney Opera House, Radio City Music Hall, and the Hollywood Bowl. Justin has also made a number of TV appearances, including multiple performances on The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and Saturday Night Live.
Justin has recorded three records under his own name. The first is a self-titled collection of his hard-bop tinged originals. His next, “Love Songs”, is a combination of jazz and beatnik-style poetry featuring works from artists as diverse as Allen Ginsberg and Star Trek’s Commander Data. The third, “Evil Man Blues” (which is set to be released in summer 2014) features Ray both as trumpeter and vocalist on a collection of jazz standards.
In 2003, Ray accepted an offer from Warner Bros. recording artist Michael Buble to join his group.
"Justin has worked with Michael Buble as an instrumentalist, composer, arranger, etc. Michael Buble said about Justin, "My fondest memory of Justin was at the Las Vegas Hilton in 2006. During Justin's astounding solo on "Smile" one night, a lady in the audience rose to her feet to applaud his performance. She turned out to be Justin's Mum and looked so proud of her immensely talented son up on stage. It was a truly remarkable reaction to an overwhelming performance. As much as Justin plays his heart out every performance, you couldn't help but feel he had found a little something extra that evening to give his mum." From an article by by Eddie LeShure found here
“My
fondest memory of Justin was at the Las Vegas Hilton in 2006. During
Justin’s astounding high-energy solo on “Smile” one night, a lady in the
audience rose to her feet to applaud his performance. She turned out to
be Justin’s mum and looked so proud of her immensely talented son up on
stage. It was a truly remarkable reaction to an overwhelming
performance. As much as Justin plays his heart out every night, you
couldn’t help but feel that he’d found a little something extra that
evening, just to give his mum!” ~ Singer Michael Buble - See more at:
http://www.rapidrivermagazine.com/2012/jazz-profile-justin-ray/#sthash.MPLazjuZ.dpuf
“My
fondest memory of Justin was at the Las Vegas Hilton in 2006. During
Justin’s astounding high-energy solo on “Smile” one night, a lady in the
audience rose to her feet to applaud his performance. She turned out to
be Justin’s mum and looked so proud of her immensely talented son up on
stage. It was a truly remarkable reaction to an overwhelming
performance. As much as Justin plays his heart out every night, you
couldn’t help but feel that he’d found a little something extra that
evening, just to give his mum!” ~ Singer Michael Buble - See more at:
http://www.rapidrivermagazine.com/2012/jazz-profile-justin-ray/#sthash.2J4fJkPX.dpuf
He has toured 45 countries, appeared on Grammy-winning recordings, and has performed at some of the most prestigious venues in the world, such as Madison Square Garden, the Sydney Opera House, Radio City Music Hall, and the Hollywood Bowl. Justin has also made a number of TV appearances, including multiple performances on The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and Saturday Night Live.
Justin has recorded three records under his own name. The first is a self-titled collection of his hard-bop tinged originals. His next, “Love Songs”, is a combination of jazz and beatnik-style poetry featuring works from artists as diverse as Allen Ginsberg and Star Trek’s Commander Data. The third, “Evil Man Blues” (which is set to be released in summer 2014) features Ray both as trumpeter and vocalist on a collection of jazz standards.
When he is not touring, Ray makes his home in Asheville NC, and is an active member of its vibrant musical community.
For more information about Justin visit the following sites.
http://mountainx.com/arts/art-news/120512songs_in_the_key_of_love/
http://www.wncwoman.com/2012/06/04/men-making-music-and-making-music-happen/
| If you would like to hear Justin play with Michael Buble, you can purchase tickets here | ||||||
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| http://justin-ray.com/about-justin-ray/ | ||||||
| Fair warning, however. You will have to to travel to Budapest, Cracow, Vienna, Ljubljana (Slovenia), Italy, Germany, or the United Kingdom until after Christmas as Michael Buble's band will be on tour in Europe in November & December. The small painting (for a larger image, click here) I made as a gift for the new baby is hanging in Wyatt's room. 
Perhaps, I should have painted a portrait of Wyatt's father instead?
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| I am guessing Marianna will be helping Natalie with Wyatt for those two months. | ||||||
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