RAY JAURIQUE AND THE UPTOWN BROTHERS ARE A SINGER/SONGWRITER/GUITAR PLAYER AND THREE SEASONED MUSICIANS WHO ARE FOCUSING ON ONE THING: PRESENTING WELL WRITTEN, SOULFUL SONGS, WRITTEN & SUNG BY RAY. IT’S THE JOB OF THE GUYS IN THE BAND PUTTING A LITTLE ICING ON THIS MUSICAL CAKE.
MORE THAN ONCE THE QUESTION HAS COME UP. “…WELL WHAT (OR WHO) DOES IT SOUND LIKE?” THE SHORT ANSWER MIGHT BE “WELL… IT SOUNDS LIKE RAY & THE BROTHERS”. BUT WHEN PRESSED TO COMPARE, IT MIGHT BE ACCURATE TO POINT TO ONE PART SAM COOKE, ONE PART ALBERT KING, A PINCH OF ALBERT COLLINS, ONE PART DELBERT MC CLINTON, A TOUCH OF KEB MO’, SOME VAN MORRISON WITH A LITTLE HOLLAND- DOZIER- HOLLAND THROWN IN.
WHAT SEEMS TO SEPARATE THIS BAND FROM SO MANY OTHERS IS THE FOCUS ON ORIGINAL ROOTS AND BLUES MUSIC THAT IS SO ACCESSIBLE IT MAKES IT EASY TO TAP YOUR TOES. FIRST TIME LISTENERS COMMENT THAT RAY’S SONGS SEEM SO FAMILIAR THAT THEY SWEAR THEY MAY HAVE HEARD AT LEAST ONE OF HIS SONGS BEFORE.
ITS A LITTLE TASTE OF BLUES, A BIT OF SOUL, IT ROCKS, IT ROLLS, IT SWINGS AND AFTER A COUPLE OF LISTENS YOU CAN SING ALONG. (IT’S PRETTY FRIENDLY STUFF.) ITS MUSIC ABOUT LOVE, HEARTBREAK, BAD TIMES, GOOD TIMES, ROMANCE AND IN THE END, MAKING THE MOST OF LIFE.
