Photo of Michael Ray & the Cosmic Krewe

Michael Ray & the Cosmic Krewe

Michael Ray & the Cosmic Krewe Radio

General Info

  • Genre: Funk / Jam Band / Jazz

    Location NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana, US

    Profile Views: 14643

    Last Login: 1/9/2009

    Member Since 4/23/2006

    Type of Label Major

  • Bio

    Trumpet player Michael Ray spent approximately 15 years with the Sun Ra Arkestra before he took the leap and established a band of his own, Michael Ray & the Cosmic Krewe. He had previously contributed to the sound of Kool & the Gang. While Sun Ra's outfit played free jazz, and Kool & the Gang was more of a contemporary funk outfit, Ray and his Cosmic Krewe have learned how to deliver their own type of funk to a jazz audience, as evidenced on the song "Earthrite." While the number gets the crowd moving in a big way every time during a live show, when Michael Ray & the Cosmic Krewe debuted with an eponymous release in 1994, it was decided that the mix was too much of a gamble. Evidence Music didn't include "Earthrite" on the release, although the song later found a place on Funk If I Know. In addition to leading the Cosmic Krewe, Ray still plays trumpet with the Arkestra. Tipping his hat to the late jazz visionary, Ray included a couple of Ra's numbers, "Yolinda" and "Latin Monkey," on his Funk If I Know release. Ray also played with Phish on the album Phish: A Live One, as well as on-stage, and he contributed to Surrender to the Air by Trey Anastasio. His other work includes a soundtrack for PBS. Based in New Orleans, Michael Ray & the Cosmic Krewe took home the honor of Best Funk Band in 1999 when the outfit appeared at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Ray actually supervises a pair of ensembles named Cosmic Krewe one based in the Crescent City, the other in Burlington, VT, and the surrounding region. Members of both Krewes are represented on the Funk If I Know CD.

  • Members

    Michael Ray - trumpet, synth, vocals; Eddie Dejean - drums, vocals; Bob Gullotti - drums; Kevin O'Day - drums, rap vocal; Stacy Starkweather - bass; Jimbo Walsh - bass; Adam Klipple - piano, synth; Joshua Q. Paxton - keyboards; Smokey Brown - guitar; Tim Green - tenor sax; Clarence Johnson - alto, tenor saxes; Don Glasgo - trombone; Dave Grippo - alto sax; Martin Krushe - tenor sax; Michael Skinkus - percussion, vocals; Steve Ferraris - percussion; Rob Zuchowski - guitars; Ricky Castrillo - guitar; Trey Anastasio - guitar; Jon Fishman - drums; Rj Spangler - percussion; John Medeski; Oteil Burbridge; Page McConnell; A. Jackson; and many more....

  • Influences

    Sun Ra, Kool and the Gang, Parliament, Louis Armstrong, Phish

  • Sounds Like

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