Justin Ray's trumpet doesn't announce itself with fanfare; it whispers invitations that pull you into the kind of musical dialogue where honesty is the only currency. This isn't flash or fury—this is a catalyst who makes every musician around him remember exactly why they fell in love with playing in the first place. Leading with the quiet confidence that only comes from truly listening, Ray creates gravitational fields where Monday nights transform into Asheville's best-kept secret.
Behind him, the Brian Felix Organ Trio conjures the entire architecture of American soul. Felix's Hammond B3 turns cocktail lounges into revival meetings where salvation arrives through swing, his left hand walking bass lines that make upright players jealous while his right preaches sermons in chords. Evan Martin's drums whisper and roar in perfect telepathy, every snare accent serving the greater narrative. Dr. Tim Fischer's guitar exists in that rarified space where doctoral precision collides beautifully with street-level groove, proving that the most interesting music lives at the intersection of incompatible styles.
Tonight, Ray's trumpet poses musical questions that make the organ, drums, and guitar answer with their most honest voices. This is collaborative alchemy in real time—leadership through inspiration, not domination.
Featuring
When Brian Felix sits behind a Hammond B3, gospel church pews start swaying in jazz clubs, and cocktail lounges suddenly feel like revival meetings where the only salvation comes through swing. As the beating heart of the Brian Felix Organ Trio, Felix doesn't just play organ—he channels the entire history of American soul through drawbars and Leslie speakers, creating sonic sanctuaries where Jimmy Smith's bebop athleticism meets Jimmy McGriff's bluesy gravitas. His left hand walks bass lines...
Dr. Tim Fischer exists in that rarified space where USC doctoral precision meets street-level groove, where European touring experience fuses with American jazz DNA to create something entirely his own. This guitarist-composer-educator doesn't just play jazz fusion—he reimagines what happens when classical technique meets electronic experimentation, when rock energy collides with bebop sophistication. From Los Angeles studios to St. Louis classrooms to his current faculty position at Coastal...
In Asheville's Monday night jazz ecosystem, Evan Martin represents the rare breed of drummer who understands that sensitivity and power aren't opposites—they're dance partners. As a cornerstone of the local scene, Martin has mastered the art of musical telepathy, reading room dynamics and bandmate intentions with the precision of a master craftsman who knows exactly when to whisper and when to roar. His kit becomes a conversation partner rather than a time machine, responding to melodic...
In a scene filled with talented musicians, Justin Ray has emerged as both a formidable trumpet voice and the kind of musical leader who makes everyone around him want to dig deeper into their craft. Leading the Justin Ray Quartet with the kind of understated authority that comes from deep listening and deeper respect for the tradition, Ray embodies the collaborative spirit that keeps Asheville's jazz scene thriving. His trumpet doesn't just play melodies—it starts conversations, poses...
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