On Its Own

This collection of songs are a record of events that have deeply affected Ray Vas, and these events could only be expressed through music. Throughout many years of listening to and learning about many different artists, locally and worldwide, Ray Vas was finally able to collaborate with some of his favorites. They have joined him in making a musical painting, complete with scenery of the darkest and brightest colors that shape our lives. It starts with 'Storm,' full of thunder, rain and hopelessness, transitioning to a dream of prosperity. Then in 'Games We Play' we hear a display of human weaknesses and vulnerabilities, with all the challenges that we have to confront on a daily basis, whether it is political or a search for the self. In the tune 'On It's Own,' Ray Vas disclaims himself as song writer and gives all the credit to the musicians and love, which do all the work. 'Endless Space' is a song dedicated to that great American journalist, Amy Goodman. Next, 'Tell Me Why' is a reminder of the catastrophe that happened in Iraq in 2007. It reminds the listener of the cruelty of war and how these brutal events can happen, in our name, when we do nothing. Then we veer into the instrumental portion of this folio of tunes. First is 'Sweet Ornament,' which is an upbeat, Americana, song that is dedicated to the daughters of Ray Vas. Next, we hear 'Language of Love,' which speaks of love and passion for the music and the musicians. This love and passion creates the environment for musicians to be in sync and at peace with one another. This oneness is the cause of a great flow of communication, in this case soprano sax by Paul McCandless and alto sax by Mike McMullen. Then we hear a beautiful instrumental version of 'Mr. Hoodman' which appeared on the first Ray Vas CD, 'Our Message,' aka 'A Point of View'. And finally, 'Intervention,' which is a song dedicated to a beloved friend, Rich Briglia, who played bass and soprano clarinet on 'Our Message'. He is truly missed.