Rebecca Hardiman

Ray has been playing professionally since the age of 15, being awarded the Louis Armstrong Jazz award in 1977.  Growing up in RI, he learned the ropes of the music business performing in Newport and the Greater New England Region.  Studying at Berklee College of music as well as private lessons he developed his own piano style. He is included in the "Treasury of Rhode Island Jazz & Swing Musicians". Ray joined the Vocal Jazz Group "The Ritz in 1987, performing at the Montreal Jazz Festival recording one of the first "direct-to-digital" CD recordings for Denon Columbia, Ray received  an "Outstanding Service" award from the National Association of Jazz Educators in 1987, and has performed at numerous venues throughout the country.  Since moving to Oregon with his wife, Vocalist Rebecca Hardiman in 1990 they  formed the vocal jazz group "Euphoria" and opened for Mel Torme at the Hult Center in Eugene. After disbanding in 2000, they started to perform as a duo at every major venue as well as festivals and events around the United States. Ray recorded a trio CD in 2015, which was submitted for Grammy consideration. He has been performing for the last eight years every Friday evening at Langdon's Grill in his hometown of Aurora, as well as other venues throughout the Portland metropolitan area. He and his wife Vocalist Rebecca Hardiman still perform as a duo and with other musicians locally and in other states.