The American Troubadour
Ray Weaver is the consummate performer. His love of being in front of an audience is obvious at every show. His seemingly endless repertoire and ability to please any audience combines with his love for country, blues, rock 'n roll, the great Irish songs, his own stellar original tunes and his unique take on modern chart hits to create a show audiences remember and come back to see again and again.
His ‘take no prisoners, last man standing’ style has inspired rave reviews from the club owners and arrangers he plays for around the world.
Anthony Clarke of the IRC restaurant group in the US said that Ray is “probably the best in the business. His enjoyment of what he does is evident. When new people walk into a Ray Weaver performance they are blown away and end up staying all night, making sure to find out when he will be back. When I am looking at new acts for our pubs, I use Ray Weaver as the measurement to see how good they are - I call it the “Ray Weaver Scale.”
Morten Haugen Kihle of Boondocks Hideaway in Tønsberg, Norway echoed Clarke’s comments,
"Ray Weaver works hard every time he comes to my pub. His ‘no breaks’ performances and willingness to try any song the audience wants to hear have made him a favorite at Boondocks. My regulars check the calendar to see when he is coming back.”
John Conaty of The Globe in Copenhagen has booked Ray at several different venues he has managed over the years,
"I've been bartender and manager at numerous bars and I've made sure book Ray at each bar as often as possible. Unexpendable.”
Along with his epic live performances, Ray Weaver is also an award-winning songwriter with the rare ability to transform life into songs and stories that are intensely personal, yet still touch a universal chord.
J. Doug Gill from Musicians Monthly called him“…a master storyteller who knows how to wrap an intensely personal cloak.”
Doug Floyd of altcountrytab.com said, ”The writing talent here is really pretty formidable. The names of Steve Earle, Townes van Zandt and Guy Clark all spring to mind."
Danish artist Jes Holtsø chose to use only Ray Weaver songs for both of his English language CDs. The CDs - and the songs - co-written with pianist and producer Morten Wittrock, received rave reviews from both the press and the public.
"These are strong, intimate songs - a great mix of soul, blues and groovy funk. The recordings are rootsy and simple. The result is a personal and live-affirming history of life's ups and downs, pain, luck, love and joy - in short...THE BLUES!" Copenhagen Blues Festival.
The second Jes Holtsø CD was nominated for a Danish Grammy Award and won Jes the "Blues Personality of the Year" Award from the Copenhagen Blues Society.
He was also the cowriter of all of the songs on the debut CD ‘Watch Me’ by Nina Massara, which has received glowing reviews and charted on blues playlists worldwide. One of the songs was recently featured on Fox Televison’s ‘Lethal Weapon’ programme.
"A Father's Heart”, his first book, collects some his best-loved stories and songs into a multimedia package.
Ray has played concerts and festivals across the United States and in Europe. His music has been used on the Travel Channel, the WB Network and featured on radio and internet stations worldwide. Ray's books and music are available on iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby and at every live performance.