RayBal is the collaboration between legendary Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek and the European trumpet player and composer known simply

July 2002

RayBal is the collaboration between legendary Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek and the European trumpet player and composer known simply as Bal

Together they are exploring a new synthesis of electronica, jazz, and classical music. Their new music is digital / computer based, yet performed live and spontaneously in the tradition of the American improvisational music known as jazz.

So, WHO is the BAL in RayBal???

Later this year, Ray Manzarek will release a new CD in collaboration with a trumpet player named Bal, as RayBal. So, WHO IS BAL????

Bal was born in 1965 in Stettin, Poland, a very big port city on the Baltic Sea, where he started playing music as a child. Bal was a Doors fan from age 14, and knew that someday he would play with Ray! In particular, he wanted to record Riders On The Storm with trumpet as a voice.

Poland was under communist dictatorship, and in 1986 Bal escaped to Germany. He moved on to Chicago and New York, and was lucky in getting scholarships wherever he went. Bal spoke no English when he moved to the USA in 1991; he now speaks Polish, German, Russian, and English. (wow!)

About two years ago Bal decided to try to get in touch with Ray. A musician agreed to give Bal’s phone number to Ray, and Bal was shocked to get a call from Ray within a week or two. Ray invited Bal to send some of his recorded material to the Doors office, which he did. That was December 2000.

In February 2001 Ray invited Bal to come to the studio and record trumpet parts for Ray’s film, Love Her Madly. Ray gave Bal some musical ideas, Bal played his trumpet, and they began to record! Bal was invited to play another song, and then Ray asked Bal to play trumpet on another song while Ray played piano.

Another session followed, and Bal and Ray decided to do a project together once Ray finished with his film. In August 2001 they began to record a CD together. It is almost finished, and it should be released later in 2002.

In February 2002, I witnessed Bal accompanying Ray on Riders On The Storm and another song dedicated to Jim. It was a haunting performance! This was at Ray’s book signing appearance at Borders Westwood where he was promoting and signing his recently published novel, The Poet In Exile.

You can listen to Bal at http://www.pbmrecords.com

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July 2002