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The two musicians create their own rhythm section by equipping themselves with purely homemade attire… for Jeff, a portable wood front porch with a microphone underneath; for Nick, a foot-shaker contraption attached to a pair of Converse all-stars. Combining their homemade wears with Jeff’s thumb-thumping resonator slide-guitar and Nick’s gospel-meets-groove bass lines yields a sound that really moves.

Often, guest musicians and honorary members at their live shows join the group. Sometimes it’s an auxiliary percussionist, sometimes a harp player… the spontaneity of the Stake’s lineup adds an extra level of excitement and anticipation, making every show unique and every song different every time it’s played.

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Nick Salisbury is a professional bass player/teacher residing in Minneapolis MN and also plays bass for G.B. Leighton - the hardest working rock band in the upper Midwest. Prior to joining G.B. Leighton, he was a member of the Twin Cities legendary R&B/Horn band Mick Sterling & The Stud Bros from 2001-2004. He has also appeared with Mary Cutrufello, Rick McGuire, Murali Coryell, The Lamont Cranston Blues Band, The Rolling Blunder Revue, Debra Soule, Tom Hunter, Pete Kavanaugh and Soulvation, and recently played at the 2006 Bayfront Blues Festival backing up the Ruf Records Blues Caravan, a collaborative project featuring Ian Parker (UK), Aynsley Lister (UK) and Erja Lyytinen (Finland).

He has appeared on a number of recordings, including; G.B. Leighton - Shake Them Ghosts (2007), Mary Cutrufello - 35 (2006), Apryl Electra - From the Padded Cell of Suburbia (2005), Gary D & The Fabulous Armadillos - Diary of a Decade (2005), Rick McGuire - This Time (2004), Mick Sterling & The Stud Bros. - Fifteen (2004), Mick Sterling & The Stud Bros. - Sunday Soul Service (2002).

Nick studied music at Berklee College of Music, Boston MA (1997-2000) and took private studies with Hutch Hutchinson, Danny Morris, Peter Olson and John Repucci Jr.

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Jeff Ray is a touring songwriter and resonator slide-guitarist based out of Saint Paul, MN. He says that his music has “a quality that could only come from the merger of sounds from his two backgrounds, Minnesota and Memphis.” He grew up in Minnesota and began playing the guitar at a young age, drawing inspiration from his days spent writing music deep in the Mississippi River valley. At age 17, he bought an old car and made his way down to Memphis to get schooled. He spent his days jamming with friends and his nights cuttin heads on Beale Street. There he found his soul in music and made his way back to the Midwest to begin his extensive solo music career.

His first CD was recorded in a run-down studio apartment in Madison, WI in 2001. The CD reflected a newfound style and inspiration from his travels, and paved the way for his powerful second release JUNE GENERATION in 2004.

In 2005, he was asked to open for one of is idols, Chris Smither. The experience inspired Jeff to add the rhythmic foot-stomping heard on his latest solo recording LAST GREAT WINTER (2006). In the past few years, Jeff has continued to tour relentlessly throughout the Midwest and has dived deeper into the world of the resonator guitar with inspiration from friends and Minnesota musicians like the Brass Kings, Charlie Parr, Rich Rue, Pat Donohue, etc. In 2007, he met Nick Salisbury and the Stakes were formed. The group plans to record a new CD for 2008.. stay tuned and in the meantime… we hope to see you at a show!

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