Ray Longchamp began playing the guitar at the age of 6, when he "appropriated" the Sears guitar his older brother got for Christmas and began picking out melodies by ear. He started taking lessons, and when he saw the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show about a year later, he was hopelessly and irrevocably hooked on Rock and Roll.

Flash forward to the teen years and various tenures with "garage" bands. Ray's early classic rock influences such as The Who, Jethro Tull, Hendrix, (and of course the Beatles and Stones) began yielding to the more improvisational music of The Grateful Dead and The Allman Brothers. He also developed an appreciation for such singer, songwriter, acoustic fingerstylists as James Taylor, Jorma Kaukonen, and Chet Atkins.

Flash forward to the present. After a college education in music and literature, and graduate work in education, Ray has been a working musician for 25 plus years. Along with varied recording projects, he continues to perform live extensively. Lately he has maintained a frenzied pace, playing solo acoustic gigs, duos with Vinnie Manzo, trio and full band work, and "sideman" gigs with some of the areas top musicians. Ray has been the "opening act" for such artists as Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead, and Dave Nelson of the New Riders of the Purple Sage. During the day he teaches about 45 to 50 students per week.

College exposed Ray to Jazz, and as he continues to grow musically, he is working to incorporate the greater complexity and sophistication of that genre into the roots-based music that he and the band are exploring (and on a good night, reinventing).

Check out Ray's Teaching Bio Page

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