Autumn Muse by Allen Bruce Ray

A melodic collection of both upbeat and reflective instrumentals in a classic pop/rock style featuring Native American-style flutes accompanied by acoustic & electric guitars, bass, and keys as well as drum loops by renown session drummers.

The title "Autumn Muse" refers to the singular inspiration borne of that season with its brisk temperatures, vibrant colors, scenes of crops waiting to be harvested, and deep blue skies (if you live where I do, that is). In fact, the atmosphere and energy level invoked by the autumn informs much of how I think and what I do musically throughout the entire year.

On my fourth go-around, I opted for a much more energetic presentation. All of the songs are based on solo Native American-style flute improvisations I did years ago for my YouTube channel. However, the decision was made to avoid solo flute pieces in favor of full guitar, bass, drum, and keyboard accompaniment so that I could incorporate my electric and acoustic guitar playing and relay some positive energy through that.

All of the melodic instruments on Autumn Muse were performed by me: electric and acoustic 6 and 12-string guitars, nylon-string guitar, bass (via a keyboard controller using the MODO BASS physical modeling program from IK Multimedia), and some rudimentary keyboard work. Most of the software synths and keys I use are vintage sounds such as Hammond B3 organ, Mellotron, and string synths with a few more modern sounds adding colors here and there.

The drum tracks come from The Loop Loft and are all played by well-known session drummers Ryan Gruss, Matt Chamberlain, Omar Hakim, and Aaron Comess... and boy do these fellas make me sound good!

Having grown up in the 70s and 80s, I was very much into the often brilliant classic rock and pop music of the time. In fact, I played guitar in a Top 40 covers band in the early 1980s. I was also a big fan of the era's great guitarists, and I also loved the simple but elegant songwriting of the Moody Blues and the pop sensibility and production instincts of Jeff Lynn (ELO). All of these filter through what I do to some degree. On this release, the guitar has more of a supporting role... though there might just be one or two surprises towards the end (!) I hope this album brings you joy, puts a smile on your face, and provides a catalyst for contemplation. Thanks for listening! Many blessings to you all ~ Allen Bruce Ray, Chuncheon, Korea

Bruce has been serenading enraptured audiences of birds, trees, & insects and bouncing sounds around the mountains and inner walls of various concrete tunnels, mostly in South Korea, ever since the Native American flute first beckoned him in 2007. Oh yes, and he also plays to fellow human beings all around the world via YouTube.

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