(Downtown Los Angeles, CA) – Blues guitar great and former Grammy nominee Ray Brooks, along with his band Ray Brooks & the Bluzmasters, continue their monthly residency in Downtown L.A. at the Seven Grand Club, Wednesday, February 24. Showtime is 10pm to 1am. No cover. 515 W. 7th St., Los Angeles.
Brooks – recently interviewed by venerable Living Blues magazine for their article on “Legendary Bluesman of Los Angeles” – first began playing professionally back in 1958, at the Cloud 9 Club in Corpus Christi, Texas. He worked throughout South Texas, backing artists as Floyd Dixon and Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown. In 1961 Brooks moved to Dallas, Texas, where he worked with Freddie King and the great Buster Smith. Brooks arrived in Los Angeles, California in June of 1963, and started to appear in all of the popular L.A. clubs of the time.
In 1968, he co-wrote “Burbank Brown”, a song that was featured in the hit movie, “Bob, Carol, Ted & Alice”. Ray was nominated for a Blues Grammy in 1979 for his recording of “Walk Out Like A Lady”,taken from his album, “Let’s Try Love”. Ray subsequently toured with the Job Corp. around the country, and shortly thereafter played a lengthy residency at Harrah’s Club Lake Tahoe. In 1980 Ray toured South Africa three months with Cashears as the opening act for Tina Turner, and after that, with late keyboard great, Billy Preston. In 2007, Brooks performed the music in a commercial. for French sunglasses company, Optic 2000. Most recently, Ray relocated to the Southern California High Desert city of Victorville. He was a headline performer at the 2014 High Desert Music Festival, and continues to perform throughout Southern California.
In addition to playing and recording, Brooks currently teaches music at the Excelsior Charter School system in Victorville.
