Ray Lyon

Born on April 18, 1957 in Newport News, Virginia, Ray has resided in Boca Raton, Florida for over 30 years.
He began playing piano when he was six years old. Besides music and recording, Ray enjoys traveling, reading,
computers, web page design, an occasional game of golf, and spending time with his wife, Stephanie. Active at
Calvary Chapel of  Ft. Lauderdale, a non-denominational evangelical church, he assists in the music ministry
there. He also leads a home bible study group.

Education/Influences

As a youth, Ray studied classical piano with the renowned Argentinean concert pianist Raul Spivak.
He also studied jazz piano with Vince Maggio (University of Miami) and Chuck Marohnic (Florida
Atlantic University).

Collegiate studies were at Palm Beach Community College, Eastman School of Music, University of
Miami (FL), and Florida Atlantic University where he graduated in 1982 with B.F.A. in music
(jazz arranging and composition).

Musical influences and inspirations: (in no particular order) Antonio Carlos Jobim, Herbie Hancock,
Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Jan Hammer, Gino Vannelli, Bela Bartok, Wayne
Shorter, Isao Tomita, Vince Mendoza, Toots Theilemanns, Pat Metheny, Igor Stravinsky, Lyle Mays,
Mark Isham, Brad Meldhau, Yellowjackets, Claude Debussy, Liz Story, Weather Report,
George Benson, George Duke, John Rutter, and almost anything with a lot of reverb.

Performance/Recording

Besides being a veteran jazz keyboardist and pianist on the south Florida music scene for many years, Ray was a member of guitarist Randy Bernsen's Ocean Sound Band and recorded on three of his albums along with such
luminary jazz artists as Jaco Pastorius, Michael Brecker, Wayne Shorter, and Herbie Hancock. Ray
has also performed with jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie, trumpeter Ira Sullivan, saxophonist Ed Calle,
and flautist Nestor Torres.

Engineering/Producing

Ray has been actively involved with recording engineering since 1980, and has owned and operated
his own studio, Balsam Pillow, since 1992. He was also a co-owner of Spectrum Recording Studios,
a popular local recording studio, for several years. Balsam Pillow features a state of the art 64 track
Pro Tools hard disk recording environment.

Ray has produced, recorded, mixed and and/or mastered projects for Erin O'Donnell, Jackson
Bunn, Randy Bernsen, Nestor Torres, Richard Brookens & Yellow Bell, Pam Rozell, Athenas,
Vicki Richards, Honey Drake, Scott Marischen, Billy Bones, Keiko Chokai, Matt Johnson, Rick
Krive, Valerie Z. & Paris, Warner Brothers Publications, Abaco Music, Calvary Chapel of
Ft. Lauderdale, and Northwestern Mutual Life, among others.

In 1993, Ray released his debut CD, "Farewell To Shadowlands", on his own label, Burning
Blue Records. His latest project, "Figures Of The True" was released in June of 2000. For
information on these projects, please click the appropriate links.

Future Plans

Ray is currently working on two new original projects, one of which is a collection of
contemporary jazz compositions in a further extension of the style found on his earlier two works.
Additionally, he is composing and recording a CD of prayer and meditation music.
Ray is also project coordinator for a jazz compiliation CD soon to be released by Calvary
Chapel of Ft. Lauderdale. (Kenaniah Records)

SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY