Ray Goren

Ray Goren is a rock and blues guitarist, recording artist, and bandleader, and he has been noticed internationally for his fiery live performances. A child prodigy, Goren has shared stages with everyone from B.B. King and Leon Russell to Buddy Guy, Jonny Lang, and Alice Cooper. Born in New York City, he began playing piano at age three. At five, he got serious, and was heavily influenced by jazz. His father facilitated this by purchasing CDs and a boom box, and Goren spent hours listening to and learning music by Thelonious Monk, Oscar Peterson, Milt Jackson, John Coltrane, and Miles Davis. He became interested in the guitar at age seven when his family relocated to California. While looking online for jazz musician J.J. Johnson, he accidentally typed the initials "B.B." He clicked on a video of B.B. King with Albert Collins, Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy, and Eric Clapton playing "Sweet Little Angel" together. It changed his life. He went on to discover Albert King, Luther Allison, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Otis Rush. Goren isn't only influenced by jazz and blues. He also loves R&B from Stevie Wonder, D’Angelo, and Donny Hathaway, to Prince and Amy Winehouse. At age nine he saw organist Deacon Jones and his band play in L.A. and an acquaintance was made. Six months later, he made his recording debut on Jones' album, The Day the Blues Stood Still. In 2011, Goren made his debut as a leader in a band that featured Jones, drummer Tony Braunagel, bassist Bob Glaub (bass), and his guitar teacher Jon Sosin. After that gig his reputation spread and he was soon sitting in with everyone who came through L.A. In July 2012, Goren visited Bell’s -- a blues juke-joint located in South Central Los Angeles. There, he met 78-year-old Jamie "Bluesboy" Powell and 68-year-old "Harmonica" Sammy Lee. Playing together, the three discovered a musical connection and formed the Generation Blues Experience. Two albums, Private Angel and Live at Lucy's 51, were issued in 2012. The trio played the Doheney Blues Festival in 2012, and the Chicago Blues Festival in 2013. In 2014, Goren issued The LA Sessions EP -- produced by Eddie Kramer -- his first release of all-original music. The Save My Soul EP appeared in 2014. In 2016, the title track from Save My Soul was released as a single. ~ Thom Jurek