DAVID BRAY
One of Canada's finest songwriters – Bob Mackowycz
DAVID BRAY’s unique artistic vision has established him as one of Canadian music’s leading songwriters. His compelling lyrical flare combined with an ear for musical hooks has been hailed by critics and industry veterans alike. His work has been aired on well over a hundred stations around the world. Bray is a poet and storyteller as much as he is a writer of songs. He approaches songwriting more like an author of great literature than that of a normal tunesmith. The quality of the words and the more traditional concept of literacy enhancing context and story structure are key goals for Bray. At the same time, David does not compromise on the superb infectious music which is the bedrock of the collection. Helping to flesh his songs out are some some illustrious friends as well as his partner, Lorraine Reid. David is based in Toronto, Canada.
From his early work with Daniel Lanois, Eugene Martynec and John Capek to his most recent work with Garth Hudson of the Band, Motown’s late legendary bassist Bob Babbitt (Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder), Justin Abedin (Jacksoul, Nellie Furtado), Colin Linden (Bruce Cockburn, Bob Dylan), Jeff Healey, Kim Mitchell, Gary Craig (Bruce Cockburn, Jann Arden), Bill King (Linda Ronstasdt, Pointer Sisters, Martha Reeves, Janis Joplin), Daniel Lanois (U2, Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel), John Dymond, David Bradstreet, and a host of other all-star musicians,
Well over a decade of work has now resulted in a trilogy of three separate releases (of which Land of Extremes is the third) ranging musically from contemporary R&B to Soul Folk, Rock and Blues, focusing on a soul-searching examination of what Bray calls "Crowded Isolation" and the challenges of urban life. Land of Extremes extends the concept to include the inequities of life in Canada and the U.S.
While David penned and produced all of the material, he shares vocal duties with performers best suited to each song, most notably his musical partner, Lorraine Reid, one of Canada’s most soulful vocalists.
The first single from that album was “Overdue”. It has received worldwide airplay. The second release is the stunning “Nothing Left”, a devastatingly sensitive take on divorce featuring his partner Lorraine Reid delivering one of the finest R&B performances you are likely to hear this year.
Now that the album is complete, get ready for the latest singles, “Some Day” featuring Lorraine Reid and Who Can You Trust?
Dive in to our web site, sample the lyrics and find out more about the friends accompanying a writer who commands attention.
The albums/singles are now available worldwide.
MUSICIANS APPEARING ON ALBUM:
Keyboards: Bill King, Garth Hudson (of The Band), David Bray
Guitars / Dobro/ Mandolin: Justin Abedin; Colin Linden; David Bray, David Bradstreet
Bass: John Dymond, Motown Legend Bob Babbitt
Drums/Percussion: Gary Craig
Harmonica: Paul Reddick
Horn Section: Extreme Horns… Gene Hardy, Christian Overton, William Sperandi.
Vocals: David Bray, Lorraine Reid, Paul Reddick
Engineer: Chris Birkett
Producer: David Bray
Associate Producer: Chris Birkett