Biography

Contact and booking Info:
Ray Cardwell
raycardwellmusic@gmail.com
573.690.8053

Ray Cardwell is one of the most diversely talented artists playing bluegrass/Americana today, with a broad array of interests and influences. From soaring harmonies to well crafted hooks Cardwell presents a fantastic collection of music like no other. His live performances leave an audience spellbound by his vocals and songwriting alike. And these recordings capture that passion and spirit. Using a bluegrass band as a base they play not only bluegrass but you will hear influences of Americana, Roots, Folk, Alt Country, Spirituals and World Music.

Click here to go to Ray Cardwell - Tennessee Moon

Click here to go to Ray Cardwell - Just A Little Rain

Stand On My Own

Stand On My Own is Ray's Sophomore CD. Its a collection of songs that celebrate good times and bad, heartache and joy. Ray has had a very broad scope of musical education (both real life and academia) through the years and these songs are the result of his continued growth. Once again using a bluegrass band as a band base Ray plays everything from hard driving bluegrass, progressive bluegrass, Americana, alt country and spirituals. This CD has something for everyone.
The CD was release May, 24th 2019. Time To Drive was the first single released on April 13th 2018. It debuted at #1 on Bluegrass Today’s Grassicana Chart. It remained on the charts top 15 for 6 months. “Alright” debuted at #1 on the Grassicana Charts and “Hurricane Rain at #2 Before it made its way to #1. The title track Stand On My Own debuted at #4 on the same chart
*studio note, This is the first recording of two former Newgrass Revival Members to play together. Curtis Burch and Pat Flynn both were guitar players for the esteemed group. To see them finally record together was an amazing thing. I was so pleased to have them both on this CD.
*studio note- having been a lifelong Ozark Mountain Daredevils fan, I was really excited about recoding a song by Michael "Supe Granda. New Set Of Problems is a Hillbilly Country Rock story you will want to check out.

SONG BY SONG IN THE ORDER ON THE CD

1) Time to Drive (3:06) Bluegrass
written and arranged by Ray Cardwell
(RAC MAC MUSIC, ASCAP)
recorded at Song City Studios, Nashville, TN
Ray Cardwell-Bass Guitar, Lead Vocals
Kelsey Crews-Banjo, Tenor Vocals
David Mansfield-Fiddle, Baritone Vocals
Danny Roberts-Mandolin
Kenny Smith- Guitar
This is a song I feel almost everyone can relate4 to Sometimes you find yourself at a place in your life and the only way you can change things is get in the car and drive

2) Hurricane Rain (4:03)
written by Terry Herd/Ray A Cardwell
(Sparkinator Publishing, BMI / RAC MAC Music ASCAP)

Ray Cardwell Bass and lead vocals
Kelsey Crews Banjo and tenor vocals
David Mansfield Fiddle and baritone vocals
Danny Roberts Mandolin
Pat Flynn Guitar
Curtis Burch Resophonic Guitar
Chad Burroughs Drums

Hurricane Rain tells of a troubled soul dealing with a storm inside him.
Its a song about life changes and emotional upheaval set to a groove. It's about struggle and the promise of victory. It's about sharing emotions and letting everyone know we all have self doubt sometimes and we want to be free of it.

3) Stand on My Own (3:24)
Ray Cardwell/Rick Lang
(RAC MAC Music, ASPCAP/Haley Anna Music BMI)

Ray Cardwell - Bass Guitar, Lead and Baritone Vocals
Kelsey Crews - Banjo
Jaelee Roberts - Tenor Vocals
Adam Haynes - Fiddle
Danny Roberts - Mandolin
Pat Flynn - Guitar
Curtis Burch - Resophonic Guitar
Chad Burroughs - Drums

This song is about someone coming out of several failed relationships and then meeting the perfect one. And they're having to step back and say, hold on, you're exactly what I've been looking for, but lets not rush this. I want this to work.

4) Sinners & Saints (2:54)
written by Kari Meredyth Kimmel
(TZVIAH Music)
Ray Cardwell - Bass Guitar, Lead Vocals
Kelsey Crews - Banjo
David Mansfield III- Fiddle
Danny Roberts - Mandolin
Andy Novara - Electric Guitar
Curtis Burch - Resophonic Guitar
Chad Burroughs - Drums

When I first heard this song I was immediately taken back by the lyrical content. Kari wrote an amazing soul searching and questioning song. When I sang it I took the approach of being a convict and heading to the gallows to pay the price for what I'd done. My mind frantically searching and questioning every step that had brought me to this place and end.

5) Change in My Life (2:45)
written by Billy Straus
(Billy Straus Music)
Ray Cardwell - All Vocals

I first performesd this with The New Tradition back in the 90's. It was always one of my favorite a capella songs to do.
It's from the Steve Martin movie Leap of Faith

6) Jump Back Jane (4:18)
written by Ray Cardwell
(RAC MAC Music, ASCAP)

Ray Cardwell - Bass Guitar
Kelsey Crews - Banjo
David Mansfield III - Fiddle
Danny Roberts - Mandolin
Pat Flynn - Guitar
Curtis Burch - Resophonic Guitar

I had this melody in my head for years, but I could never find the words for it so it became my first instrumental.

7) New Set of Problems (2:50)
Michael "Supe" Granda and Mark Horn
(Missouri Mule / Odell Smoot Music)

Ray Cardwell - Bass Guitar, Lead Vocals
Kelsey Crews - Tenor Vocals
Adam Haynes - Fiddle
David Mansfield III - Baritone Vocals
Danny Roberts - Mandolin
Pat Flynn - Guitar
Andy Novara - Electric Guitar
Curtis Burch - Lap Steel
Chad Burroughs - Drums

I was playing a show with Michael 'Supe Granda' in Nashville and he sang this song. I just loved the care free "tongue in cheek" look at man and how he's never satisfied with what he's got.

8) Alright (2:25)
Written by Ray Cardwell
(RAC MAC Music ASCAP)

Ray Cardwell - bass, lead vocals
Kelsey Crews - banjo, tenor vocals
David Mansfield III - fiddle, baritone vocals
Danny Roberts - Mandolin
Pat Flynn - acoustic guitar
Curtis Burch - resophonic guitar

This song is a fun barnburner about love and family

9) Movin' On (4:42)
written by Ray Cardwell and Danny Roberts
(RAC MAC Music, ASCAP / Just Dans Songs BMI)

Ray Cardwell - Bass Guitar, Lead Vocals
Kelsey Crews - Tenor Vocals
Adam Haynes - Fiddle
David Mansfield III - Baritone Vocals
Danny Roberts - Mandolin Guitar
Curtis Burch - Resophonic Guitar

This song is about discovering true love and vowing not to make the mistakes that you've made in your past.

10) Wedding Bells (4:36)
written by Ray Cardwell
(RAC MAC Music, ASPCAP); additional lyrics by Nancy Cardwell Webster

Ray Cardwell - Bass Guitar, Lead, Tenor, and Baritone Vocals
Adam Haynes - Fiddle
Danny Roberts - Mandolin Guitar
Dustin Benson - Guitar
Curtis Burch - Resophonic Guitar
Chad Burroughs - Drums

This was one of the first songs I had ever written, I think I was 16. Growing up I always heard my Dad listening to Ray Price and Marty Robbins. I was definitely pushing for late 50's Country/bluegrass on this one

11) Yeah Love (3:15)
written by Ray Cardwell
(RAC MAC Music, ASPCAP)

Ray Cardwell - Bass Guitar, Lead Vocals
Kelsey Crews - Banjo
Jaelee Roberts - Tenore Vocals
Adam Haynes - Fiddle
David Mansfield III - Baritone Vocals
Danny Roberts - Mandolin
Andy Novara - Electric Guitar
Curtis Burch - Lap Steel
Chad Burroughs - Drums

This song is about a man who is tired of never knowing love. He's tried and tried but to no avail. Then a friend from his past re-enters into his life and he realizes he's loved her all of these years.
*studio note-I really enjoyed watching Curtis Burch cut loose on this song. he was playing his '39 lapsteel and was grinning from ear to ear

12) Love Each Other (4:51)
written by Ray Cardwell
(RAC MAC Music, ASCAP)

Ray Cardwell - Bass Guitar, Lead Vocals
Kelsey Crews - Banjo, Tenor Vocals
David Mansfield III - Fiddle, Baritone Vocals
Danny Roberts - Mandolin
Pat Flynn - Guitar
Curtis Burch - Resophonic Guitar
Chad Burroughs - Drums

I wrote this song as a message to the social media world we live in. Being civil was taught in school, nowadays we seemed to have forgotten that.

Biography

Ray grew up in a family bluegrass band, his father, Marvin Cardwell, was a talented multi-instrumentalist as well as a collector of vintage instruments. The senior Cardwell fronted one of the first live music shows in Branson, MO at Jesse James Confusion Hill in the 1960s as "Marvin Cardwell and the Country Boys." The group played a combination of traditional country music and bluegrass, performing at county fairs, town festivals, coon hunts, church events, and they even had their own live radio show every Saturday afternoon based in Aurora, MO.

Ray started singing at church and on his father's show at age three, and in sixth grade he started playing guitar and saxophone. Around 1975-76, Ray and his two sisters, Susan and Nancy, were ready to form a family band with their parents. The Cardwell Family bluegrass band performed in the late 1970s - early '80s on a variety of stages, including the Mountain Folks Music Festival at Silver Dollar City, Fort of the Osage, Dogpatch USA, and various concerts hosted by Ozarks musicologist, Max Hunter. In the ‘80s Ray was into rock & reggae, working out of Springfield, MO and in the Midwest as a musician and front man, keyboardist and sax player. He relocated for a time to Hollywood, CA with Springfield based band Resonance and played saxophone for celebrated songwriter Jack Lee (The Nerves, and writer for Blondie, Pat Benatar, and Neil Young). In 1992 he met some bluegrass enthusiasts from Columbia, MO and started his return to bluegrass with the regional band, Slick Nickel. He moved to Nashville in 1994 as a member of the critically acclaimed, nationally touring bluegrass gospel band, New Tradition. He recorded two albums with the band--one for the Brentwood label (Old Time Gospel Jamboree) and one independently released (Following the Son). In mid '96 Ray left Nashville to raise a family back in Missouri and returned to college to finish a degree in Music Education. While attending Lincoln University he performed with National Honor Choirs at both Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall in New York City.

As a band and choral director he led students to several national competitions with high markings. While teaching he also played with an indie band called Squigglefish – a popular rock/blues/reggae power trio at the Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri.

Rays return to bluegrass came when Producer/guitarist Pat Flynn heard a demo of his originals. After meeting with Pat, Ray decided that it was time to return to his roots. His Debut CD Tennessee Moon on Pinecastle Records was received with high praise with 10 songs charting on Bluegrass, Americana and Folk Charts.
Time To Drive was the first single release from Ray's sophomore CD Stand On My Own which was released on May 24th 2019 “Time To Drive” debuted at #1 on Bluegrass Today’s Grassicana Chart. It remained on the charts top 15 for 6 months. “Alright” debuted at #1 on the Grassicana Charts and “Hurricane Rain at #2 Before it made its way to #1. The title track Stand On My Own debuted at #4 on the same chart