At The Woodward Theater in Cincinnati, Ohio, on November 26th, 2025, local musicians Ray’s Music Exchange took the stage for a reunion show. Fans of the ensemble were treated to an evening of soothing and mellow funk-jazz fusion that isn’t without its surprising twists and turns. Thanks to the fact that the evening was recorded and recently released as “A Live Family Rayunion”, the rest of us are able to enjoy the magic and energy of the performance.
The group and its array of special guests certainly know how to play, but also how to make jazz fusion that falls admirably far from the middle of the road. Opening the set with “Furley’s Comet”, the confident swagger and cool groove of which make for an uplifting moment, it is as bright and easy as the set gets. It gets tense. The experimental “Quartalchondriac 12-Tone Jam”, with its intense solos given propulsion by metal-energy rock music, breaks down to a snappy groove midway and highlights the musicians’ simpatico synergy in the process. Meanwhile, “Peruvius” has a swelteringly jam-band vibe, and “Dancing About Architecture” is even more full-throttle, the group pushing the intensity of play to the max and producing unwieldy and passionate instrumental cries before segueing into a sinister quiet, giving the room space for audiences to “woo” out their appreciation.
The precision playing, passionate jamming, and crystal-clear recording and mixing make this live album a joy to listen to, painting the listener’s mood with a jovial inquisitiveness and uplifting spirit.
★★★★½
Leave a Reply