HALFORD, ARMORED SAINT Members Featured On RAY BURKE Solo Debut

April 27, 2011

Los Angeles-based bass player Ray Burke, whose credits include BRUCE DICKINSON, LIFE AFTER DEATH, ROB ROCK, WARRIOR, and currently THE GREEN ALMIGHTY, has announced the release of his debut solo album, titled "Humanity Street", out on Bright Orange Records.

"Humanity Street", inspired by a flooded street in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, features an exciting array of high-caliber guest players from the metal, rock and jazz world. Included are longtime friend/guitarist Roy Z (BRUCE DICKINSON, HALFORD, TRIBE OF GYPSIES),brothers Phil and Gonzo Sandoval (ARMORED SAINT, LIFE AFTER DEATH),vocalists Jack Emrick (LIFE AFTER DEATH, FROST),Bob Khaleel (SUPER 8),and Tim Neighbors (THE GREEN ALMIGHTY),guitarists Dave Duncan, Joel Shearer (ALANIS MORRISETTE, ANNIE LENNOX, SUPER 8),Joe Floyd (WARRIOR),John Goodwin (RHOADS, RUDE AWAKENING, JAMES BLUNT),and Chris Grady (DELTANAUT),keyboardist John Schuller (BILLY PRESTON, SLY STONE),and drummers Jon Mattox (THE YOUNG DUBLINERS, UNI),and Dave Moreno (BRUCE DICKINSON, TRIBE OF GYPSIES, LOVE/HATE). Tex Nakamura (WAR, THE 44'S) on harmonica, percussionist Leon Mobley (BEN HARPER & THE INNOCENT CRIMINALS),Azar Lawrence (MILES DAVIS, MCCOY TYNER) and John Fumo (JAMES BROWN, BRIAN SETZER) on saxophone and trumpet, respectively, provide additional flavors. The album contains 15 cuts, including "Nostalgia", dedicated to the late great Ronnie James Dio, and a restored vintage recording of the Nat King Cole classic "There Goes My Heart", performed in 1964 by Burke's father, Arthur Lee Burke, aboard the cruise ship Riviera.

"This album has been a true labor of love for me," states Burke who first made his mark with Illinois metal band FOREVER via their eponymous 1986 debut album on Heavy Metal America Records. "Musically, I get to stretch out in all sorts of ways, from hard rock to funky stuff and beyond. I love metal, especially BLACK SABBATH, because that's what I grew up on, but someone like Bootsy Collins from PARLIAMENT/FUNKADELIC has been as much an influence on me as Geezer Butler, and I dig jazz, too. So all that is in there somewhere. This record is like one big quilt musically as well as the people that have come in and played on these songs. I've got some of my oldest friends with me, like Jack (Emrick) and Roy Z, and Phil and Gonzo Sandoval from the LIFE AFTER DEATH days, as well as players I have admired for a long time. It's an honor to have guys like Azar Lawrence and John Fumo on these tracks who've worked with some of the all-time greats, or Bob Khaleel who I've been a fan of ever since I first heard SUPER 8. And to have my dad's voice on the album makes it extra sweet for me. He instilled the love of music in me so this is a fitting tribute to him."

In additional to physical product, "Humanity Street" will also be available as a digital download from iTunes, Amazon, and other outlets. Three songs from the album are currently streaming on Burke's SoundCloud page.
"Humanity Street" track listing:

01. Humanity Street
02. Planet Funk
03. Sands Of Time
04. Falling To Pieces
05. Nostalgia
06. Outerbass
07. Rain
08. What Up
09. Somebody
10. Vengeance
11. Pops
12. Earthmover
13. Get On
14. It's Monster
15. There Goes My Heart

For more information, click here.

Find more on

Prev More News Next

Comments Disclaimer And Information

BLABBERMOUTH.NET uses the Facebook Comments plugin to let people comment on content on the site using their Facebook account. The comments reside on Facebook servers and are not stored on BLABBERMOUTH.NET. To comment on a BLABBERMOUTH.NET story or review, you must be logged in to an active personal account on Facebook. Once you're logged in, you will be able to comment. User comments or postings do not reflect the viewpoint of BLABBERMOUTH.NET and BLABBERMOUTH.NET does not endorse, or guarantee the accuracy of, any user comment. To report spam or any abusive, obscene, defamatory, racist, homophobic or threatening comments, or anything that may violate any applicable laws, use the "Report to Facebook" and "Mark as spam" links that appear next to the comments themselves. To do so, click the downward arrow on the top-right corner of the Facebook comment (the arrow is invisible until you roll over it) and select the appropriate action. You can also send an e-mail to blabbermouthinbox(@)gmail.com with pertinent details. BLABBERMOUTH.NET reserves the right to "hide" comments that may be considered offensive, illegal or inappropriate and to "ban" users that violate the site's Terms Of Service. Hidden comments will still appear to the user and to the user's Facebook friends. If a new comment is published from a "banned" user or contains a blacklisted word, this comment will automatically have limited visibility (the "banned" user's comments will only be visible to the user and the user's Facebook friends).