RAY GASKINS - CAN'T STOP

Ray Gaskins is a singer, keyboarder and saxophonist - who has for many years performed worldwide with Roy Ayers, Jocelyn Brown and Phyliss Hyman among others before he finally decided to develop his own career.
He was born in Baltimore - and moved first to New York and later to London (in 1993).
His first solo album "Can't Stop" was recorded in his home studio with Ray playing all the instruments himself - and is already very successfull in the UK, where it was released in 1995 and reached the charts of Jazz FM radio station as well as selling extremely well in stores. Lipstick-HOT has signed Ray after Alex Merck saw Ray perform live at London's legendary Ronnie Scott's Club.
The music is somtimes pure soul, sometimes acid-jazz of the best kind - played by a musician instead of DJs. The vocals are rough and convincing - even on the acid-jazzy arrangement of "Summertime" which is one of the high points on the album.

Ray has toured in Germany and the UK in fall 1996 - with Mark Gilmore (drums), Tony Smith (guitars) and Dean Mark (bass). The group as well as some guest singers including ethiopian Blaine Paulus is featured on his new album SHADY LANE, which will be available in Europe in May 97 and in the USA in August/September 1997.

The tunes and pre-listen soundfiles:

1. Can't Stop (176 KB WAVE)
2. Summertime (164 WAVE)
3. Feel The Fire
4. Crystal Clear (178 KB WAVE) - (there is a video-clip available for this tune, which has gotten airplay on all three german music-TV channels VIVA-TV , VH-1 Germany and ONYX-TV)
5. Beans On Toast
6. Love Changes
7. Who's Been Getting Your Love
8. Weak
9. Tell Me (what I got to do..)

 The first 3000 albums sold in the UK on Ray's own label (before signing with LIP-HOT) have one additional tune - "Chili Funk", which we dropped from the album because of the bad sound quality of the original. The tune is on the new album SHADY LANE - in a great sounding version recorded with live musicians.

Please click here on reviews for the link to some translated press excerpts from Germany.

Additional bio info:

Ray has performed and recorded with Stuff, Brand New Heavies, Roy Ayers, Dennis Chambers, Marquee Gilmore, Tony Smith, Jocelyn Brown (his cousin), Phyllis Hyman and many others.

His first wife died in the early 90s very young, which led to the composition "Love Changes" and some of the other sad tunes he has written. After a period of personal problems including drugs, he has recovered through the help of some friends including Roy Ayers and through hard work touring and composing. He has moved from New York City to London a few years ago - and recently remarried. He has just bought a house - and plans to buy a Jaguar one day when he sells enough records.