Ray Blue Jazz Festival
http://www.samuraimusic.com/pages/talent/ray.html
http://www.samuraimusic.com/pages/rayblue.html

Photo of Ray Blue <click
See Ray's participation as the Ray Blue Quartet in a German jazz festival:http://www.jazzradio.net/fringe/rayblue.html

Ray Blue, educated at University of Iowa left for New York City to gain his fame and fortune as a great jazz saxophone player, headquartered at famed Cotton Club. Ray tours nationally and internationally, but returns periodically to Cedar Rapids to pick up the best jazz talent in the area and provide a whirlwind of incredible jazz.

Iowa Festival
Year 2001
Ray is returning from his European tour and will have his brand new CD, "Always with a Purpose" available which will contain five original pieces - this will be the debut release of the CD which have the following tunes composed by Ray Blue: Always With a Purpose, Okay Now, Desiree, Stuff 'n Such, Two Kings (with Saeed DuPree), as well as others: Amazing Grace, In a Sentimental Mood, Little Sunflower, Precious Lord. Great CD.

- Friday, February 9 - Ray Blue with the Dick Watson Trio, and Coulter Wood on vocals, at the Lighthouse Inn, 7 PM to 11 PM
- Saturday, February 10 - Blue Sweetheart Dinner Dance at the Eagles Club, 1735 11th St, NE, Cedar Rapids, phone 363-5215. Dinner 6 PM to 8 PM. Dinner selections are: Rib eye dinner, $7.95, Shrimp, $8.95, Combo dinner $9.95. Featuring Dan Knight, Paula Grady, Nick George with Ray Blue. The dance is from 9-1.
- Sunday, Feb 11 - Unity Center of Cedar Rapids, Ray Blue with Dan Knight on Piano. 10:00 AM service.
http://www.unitycr.org/unitycrhistory.html
3791 Blairs Ferry Rd. NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402, (319) 393-5422
- Friday, February 16 - Ray Blue, guest artist at Liar's Theatre, doors open at 7:30 PM, show is at 8 PM. @Campbell Steele Gallery, 1064 7th Avenue, Marion IA SOLD OUT http://lhrt3d.com/index.html
Call ahead for reservations 319-373-9211
- Saturday, February 17 - Ray Blue, guest artist at Liar's Theatre, doors open at 7:30 PM, show is at 8 PM @Campbell Steele Gallery, 1064 7th Avenue, Marion IA Call 319-373-9211 SOLD OUT http://lhrt3d.com/index.html
- Sunday, February 18
- Ray Blue and Dan Knight will do the music for the Church service at Old Brick in IC at 10:30 AM.
- Ray Blue, guest artist at Liar's Theatre, doors open at 6:30 PM, show is at 7 PM@Campbell Steele Gallery, 1064 7th Avenue, Marion IA Call ahead for reservations 319-373-9211 SOLD OUT http://lhrt3d.com/index.html
- Friday, February 23 - Ray Blue, participant in the Jazz Summit, Coe College http://www.coe.edu/~wcarson/summit.htm
http://www.coe.edu/~wcarson/JSPR.html
- Saturday, February 24 - Ray Blue, participant in the Jazz Summit, Coe College http://www.coe.edu/~wcarson/summit.htm
http://www.coe.edu/~wcarson/JSPR.html

- Thursday, March 1 - Ray Blue joins the Vanguard Jazz Collective at the Red Lion Inn at 8 PM
http://www.geocities.com/gty_99/vjc/
- Friday, March 2 - Ray Blue on sax with the Eddie Piccard Trio at the Top of the Five Seasons, 8:30 PM to 12:30 AM

- Saturday, March 3 - Ray Blue on sax, Dick Watson on piano with his Trio, Eve Adamson on jazz vocals for the first two sets, Coulter Wood on jazz vocal for the last two sets at Martini's, 127 E. College St, Iowa City, 9:30 PM

- Thursday, March 8
Ray Blue on saxophone and Dan Knight on piano at The Busted Lift in Dubuque, 7 PM to 11 PM

- Friday, March 9- "Gershwin-100 years" at Mt. Mercy College, 7PM. This event is created and sponsored, in part, by the Jazz Society of Eastern Iowa and is part of our JSEI Jazz Masters Series: Gershwin Festival on March 9 and 16, 2001
http://JazzInEastIowa.homestead.com/files/Gershwin2001.html
A Celebration of Gershwin 100 Years - Lecture/Performance
Friday, March 9
7 PM, Lecture/performance
Stello Performance Hall
A Celebration of Gershwin: 100 years will feature jazz saxophonist Ray Blue, pianist/Steinway artist Dan Knight, Dr. Craig Dove, bass and Dennis McPartland, drums. This program is co-sponsored by the Jazz Society of Eastern Iowa and KCCK. Tickets are required for admission, available at Lundy Desk - call them at 363-1323 ext. 1229
This event is created and sponsored, in part, by the Jazz Society of Eastern Iowa and is part of our JSEI Jazz Masters Series: Gershwin Festival on March 9 and 16, 2001
See the full Mt. Mercy calendar of events at http://www2.mtmercy.edu/campuslife/calendar.html

Tickets are printed NOW and available for distribution. Seats are GENERAL ADMISSION. Stello is not a very big hall (160 plus a small balcony) though it has nice acoustics. It is on the first floor of Warde Hall, which is the main building facing Elmhurst Drive. Lundy is the first building on the right near the top of the hill, when people come up the drive by Warde. There are signs.

According to Mt. Mercy, here are the "rules"
Tickets are general admission, admission is free, but tickets are required for tracking purposes and to make sure everyone with firm plans to attend can get a seat. Tickets may obtained by:
- Going in person to the information desk in the Lundy Commons (MMC student center)
- Or calling the Lundy Commons desk and reserving tickets to be picked at Stello Hall the night of the performance.
No tickets will be mailed.
Lundy Desk phone is 363-8213, ext.1229
Hours are:
M-Th 8 a.m. - midnight
Fri 8 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Sat 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Sun 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.

The campus map
http://www2.mtmercy.edu/admissions/campusmap.html
does not show up well on the screen, but prints out well.

- Sunday, March 11 - Unity Center with Ray Blue, Eddie Piccard on piano and vocals by Paula Grady, 10:00 AM service.
Friday, March 16

Year 2000
During the year 2000, Ray played at, or with:
- Ray was the lead with "Blue" at the Dockside, with Dan Knight on piano and Anton Hatwich on bass
- Muddy Water's
- The Mill, with Dan Knight on piano and Craig Dove on bass
- a special event for Jane Boyd Community House
- The Eddie Piccard Trio
- The Dick Watson Trio, with Paula Grady on vocals, Willie Fastenow on sax
- The Duke's House Band in Dubuque http://www.dukesplacedbq.com/
- "Blue" at the Busted Lift in Dubuque
- The Daugherty McPartland Group at the Freedom Festival http://www.freedomfestival.com/
- was featured on KCRG Music Box Morning Show
- was interviewed on WMT-FM gentle Jazz. http://www.mix965.com/
- he was a feature at the Variety Club Telethon with Bob Dunn.
... with some of the best musicians in town: Dick Watson Trio; Dan Knight, pianist; Craig Dove, bass; Paula Grady, vocals