Michael Ray is a versatile trumpet player with a long history in Germantown. He began his career on the R&B scene in the 1970s, playing for acts like The Delfonics, The Stylistics and Patti Labelle. Since that time, he has also recorded several albums of experimental jazz with his band Michael Ray and the Cosmic Krewe, as well as with the beloved psychedelic jam band Phish, and funk legends Kool & The Gang. But we know him best as a longtime member of Philadelphia's most storied avant garde jazz group, the Sun Ra Arkestra. On this episode, Michael and Jim discuss the Arkestra's new album -- which they recorded at Rittenhouse Soundworks in 2018 -- and share stories about life as working musicians in Germantown.
Find Michael Ray:
cosmickrewe.com
Featured Music:
Michael Ray and the Cosmic Krewe. “Yolinda.”
Funk If I Know, Monkey Hill Records, 1998.
Sun Ra. “Where Pathways Meet.”
Lanquidity, Philly Jazz, 1978.
Sun Ra. “Space Is The Place.”
Media Dreams, Art Yard, 2008.
Photo from
twitter.com/CosmicKrewe
Recorded May 2018
released July 30, 2019
Hosted by Jim Hamilton
Produced by Jim Hamilton and Thomas Hagen
