Ray Levier is not only an in-demand sideman and TV/Film composer, he finesses jazz-fusion grooves, swinging a jazz combo, laying down rugged hip-hop beats and nasty funk, accompanying singer-songwriters with subtle grace, and bashing away at rock beats with panache and precision.
Ray divides his time as a drummer and composer with with teaching, clinics, and speaking dates. When he’s not hard at work in one or more of these outlets, Ray can be found woodshedding his chops, or composing for his solo career.
In this interview spotlight, we chat about favorite songs, dream collabs, musical memories and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
What can you share with readers about your new project?
I’ve always been a huge sci-fi nerd so I tend to daydream about these kinda things quite a bit. It started off with a concept song I came up with while thinking about the future of humans as we progress technologically and start living out our lives in space more and more.
It seemed so lonely and sad and got me thinking about what it would be like to be completely alone for multiple years and how hard that would be psychologically.
When covid hit we all had a lot of time on our hands and I started to play around with this demo that was unfinished and started to massage it. I was watching on the news how loved ones were dying in hospitals and didnt have a chance to say goodbye and it struck a chord of similarity between these two ideas.
So a story started to emerge within the song about all the feelings that came up for this lonely traveler and as I kept thinking about him a back story started to emerge. It’s called Uncharted Destiny and It’s an intergalactic adventure story. Instantly I knew that it had to be a short sci-fi music video as the back story and ending kept growing in my mind. There is a twist at the end of the music video that I can’t give away but he’s not who he thinks he is and realizes this at the end of the video. I’m trying to release the video and song by the end of this year depending on circumstances of course.
How does this project compare with your other projects you had in the past?
In 2009 I put out a contemporary jazz record on Origin records called “Rays Way” with Mike Stern and John Abercrombie on guitars, Joe Locke on vibraphone, Dave Binney on saxophone, and Francois Moutin on bass. Then in 2018 I released a rock album called Lost and Found. I composed and produced the entire album mostly by myself which was something I never ever imagined I’d be able to do. I’m proud of it and It instilled a sense of confidence in my compositional skills and spurred me on to keep writing. So now this new project which I mentioned earlier is called Uncharted Destiny which is also a rock vibe but with a sci-fi theme. Since the conception the idea has developed and now I’m trying to put together a concept of a rock opera where a set of material will be performed in front of a live audience complete with images, props, dancers, and of course the band performing the music live to it all. So it literally is Uncharted Destiny for me. Lol It’s a huge undertaking and needs a good amount of funding to give it legs but if I can make it a reality I think it’ll blow people’s minds.
What inspires you to create music? What motivates you to keep going?
Inspiration can come from almost anywhere really. My last album Lost and Found was mostly inspired by my heart being broken from a break up with a girlfriend, and most of the songs were written out of a cathartic release from the emotional pain I was going through at the time. I think a lot of artists including myself write to try to explain the unexplainable quandaries of life or an emotion or fear or a question about something that really doesn’t have a straightforward answer that only art can make any sense of.
As far as what motivates me to continue is very simple. Playing and writing music is everything to me and I just can’t imagine doing anything else with my life quite honestly. I come from a musical family and music has always been there from my informative years. It’s in my DNA and in my blood. It’s also the very cause and the struggle that motivates me to give when I think there’s nothing left to give. Music is like magic to me. Do we really own what we create? Am I really the creator? Where does an idea that has never been thought before really come from? To me it all comes from a divine source. Call it spirit or God or whatever you like but to me it’s a higher source that comes through like channeling if I can only get out of the way by being quiet and receptive to the muse.
If you could collaborate with anyone dead or alive, famous or unknown – who would it be and why?
Without a doubt first and foremost it would be David Bowie! To me he was the personification of a true artist in every sense of the word. He was always changing things up and keeping everyone on their toes. He always had his finger on the pulse of what was current, cool, and cutting edge artistically. He was a legend and an artistic superhero in my mind.
What was the last song you listened to? Fav all time band/artist?
Babylon Sisters by Steely Dan from the album Gaucho with Bernard Purdie playing drums. His feel and pocket is so smooth and grooving and it always inspires me to play my drums. The song has a half time shuffle feel and every drummer knows that he’s known for his shuffles. No one can play that groove with more feel than Benard. He’s the king of that groove and I can listen to that song all day…actually sometimes I do!
Favorite band? Gee that’s a very hard question as I’m into so many genres of music but I would have to say it’s between the Beatles and David Bowie. Of course it really depends on my mood that particular day.
Where is the best place to find you and stay connected?
Probably Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, and of course my website www.raylevier.com
While you’re there if you enter your name and email that’s the best way to stay on my radar of everything that I’m up to. You’ll also receive a free song from my album Rays Way. Thanks in advance for signing up if you do so.
Is there anything you’d like to share before we sign off?
Yes, don’t ever give up on your dreams cause you just don’t know how your creativity can transform and change someone’s life including your own! Stay strong and keep your heart open to miracles!
