Music Director, check! Producer, check! Composer, check! From Harlem to Hollywood, renowned musician Ray Chew has pretty much done it all… except for maybe the fact that Chew has never, ever, in a career that spans nearly four long decades, orchestrated a full-length album [think Quincy Jones’ 1981 classic, The Dude]. That is until now… Our Ray Chew interview dives into the new project and much more.
Parlé Mag: First things first, let’s hop into this new single, “Jam,” featuring Stephanie Mills, MC Lyte, Doug E. Fresh and DJ Kid Capri — Tell me about this particular track; how did it come to fruition?
Ray Chew: As I was thinking about summertime… I think about music that takes us from the cookout to the club, and making sure we can get the right people to rock that message. First up, Kid Capri came in, you know, no grander DJ than Kid Capri! Capri came into the studio to work with me on the track, and we came up with, you know, something that had the right kind of pop and bump to it. Next up, had to get the right voice; Stephanie Mills, the legendary voice that everybody knows, and they can sing it, and everybody can kind of get a feel for that. Then I then I had to get somebody who’s legendary and a trailblazer in Hip-Hop, MC Lyte! And she said, “hey, I’m down. I got 8 bars for you.” I said, “thank you very much. Here we go!” And then, of course, my brother from Harlem, the party rocker himself, none other than Doug E. Fresh. So that’s how we pulled that all together!
Parlé Mag: “Jam” comes courtesy of your debut solo LP, My Journey — Although pretty self explanatory, still tell me, conceptually, what this title represents both to and for you?
Ray Chew: My Journey represents the arc of my life experiences and my musical experiences and all that coming together with me doing something collaborative in the spirit of my friend and mentor Quincy Jones. I love the way he always brought musical spirits together, and that’s what we’re doing for My Journey. We’re telling my story with the spirit and collaboration of other great legendary artists, plus a few new artists!
Parlé Mag: What other guest appearances, favorite songs, additional highlights, can be expected from My Journey when the project drops early next year?
Ray Chew: Some of the other collaborations will include Grammy Award winner Lisa Fischer, Grammy Award winner Marcus Miller. The great Patti Austin. Also, Robin Thicke. Then we’ll be introducing two new artists that will be presented that nobody’s ever heard about. They will be presented in a way that the world can appreciate. My Journey is full of surprises!
Parlé Mag: Being that this is your very first album in all these years, what actually prompted the decision? And then, what took so long for you to finally wanna put something out?
Ray Chew: This year I got a tap on the shoulder, and I heard the voice of God saying, “it’s time for you to express yourself through art with your own voice.” I’ve been working and doing many wonderful things for others. And this is my moment to speak, and I want to make sure that the voice that I speak with is authentic. It speaks about my experiences and the things that I feel I really want to express and say. So this it! You have to do that when the time is right, and the time is right now for me.
Parlé Mag: Reflecting, tell me your whole inception into music — When did you first become interested? And how did it all begin for Ray Chew?
Ray Chew: When I speak about my journey, it all began at age 5. My father inspired me, and my mother got me into music lessons really early. Then I became a young professional at age 16, getting out on the road to being the number one session musician by the age of 19 and getting TV shows at 21. And what a journey it has been! Wonderfully interesting over the years, and I’m glad to be able to have my moment right now to speak in my own voice.
Parlé Mag: Now you’re a native of New York. Who did/do you consider to be your strongest influences?
Ray Chew: I was born in Harlem. At age 7 we moved up to the North Bronx. All my family roots are in Harlem and a lot of my life experiences all over New York City, Bronx and every borough. I currently reside in New Jersey and have spent a lot of years here as well. So, my influences are all over the tri-state area. I share a kinship with all the artists that have, you know, been part of New York and that whole Apollo experience. And, of course, all the great artists that hail from New Jersey, including the great Dionne Warwick and George Clinton. It’s great to be able to encapsulate all of them into my experiences and expression.
Parlé Mag: Initially, when did you catch your professional big break?
Ray Chew: My first break into the industry was at age 16… I auditioned for Melba Moore, and lo and behold they chose me! I went right out on the road at age 16, and started my professional career at age 19. I was chosen to work with the great Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson, and they brought me into the whole world of recording albums… that started my television career thereafter.
Parlé Mag: As a Music Director you’ve gone on to do so many amazing things; Saturday Night Live Band, Showtime at the Apollo, 2008 Democratic National Convention, American Idol, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Miss Universe & Miss USA pageants, to name some — Do you have any favorite stories and / or memories connected to any of these gigs?
Ray Chew: One of my great life experiences and great musical moments was the great moment in history of Barack Obama being elected President of the United States. That cannot be overstated. And it was my honor to be the music director of his televised ball, the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball. With all of the artists that we worked with, it was a great moment to cherish. One of the great moments of that event was pulling together a request by Barack Obama to do one of his favorite songs, “Signed, Sealed, Delivered.” At the time of his request none of the artists were available to rehearse, and we had to pull that together the day of the show, which meant I had to go around to each of the artists’ rooms. So that included Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Mary J Blige. Faith Hill, Maroon 5 and even Stevie Wonder, and trying to give everybody a line in the song. There’s footage of me directing and everybody off stage because no one had rehearsed before the show. So, it was up to me and the teleprompter, and I’m directing each of them to make sure everybody was singing their lines when they need to sing them. And, so that was a great moment, pulling that all together.
Parlé Mag: You’ve also managed to work with some equally amazing people; Diana Ross, Roberta Flack, the aforementioned Valerie Simpson and the late greats Nick Ashford, Luther Vandross & Donny Hathaway — Same question, any favorite stories and / or memories centered around any of these collaborations?
Ray Chew: Working with Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway, we were in the middle of the album, Back Together Again. When we were doing the session, we expected that Donny would still be showing up to the studio this one particular day. When he didn’t arrive, everybody was kind of worried, but we didn’t know what to expect. And then, of course, later on we got word that he passed away. We would continue to make sure that his musical performance was great, but it was already great. It was Donny Hathaway…even though the vocal we recorded was not intended to be the final one, but it was still great because it was Donny. So that’s a wonderful thing, I’m so glad that we were able to capture that and present that forever.
Parlé Mag: You’re also entering a new season, its 33rd, of Dancing With The Stars, as well as serving as musical director for Harlem Week 50th Anniversary — What’s to be expected from both of these endeavors?
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Harlem Week, we have to make sure that we continue the great legacy of performances in front of the Harlem audience and the New York audience. And doing so we have a tribute to the great Teddy Pendergrass, as well as a tribute to my friend and wonderful artist Angela Bofill. So, yeah, you can expect that, and you can expect the Harlem audience to be celebratory and always giving that great energy. Dancing with the Stars is going into a 33rd season; my 10th year and 16th season with the show! The show is always invigorating with the energy of the celebrities that come on with their stories and the things that happen with them as they compete with each other. It’s always energetic and fun. The show is always alive, and it’s fun and I enjoy it!
Parlé Mag: What would you say you want people to get from your music?
Ray Chew: I want people to get the kind of enjoyment that I get from music, so it’s an authentic experience. I hear music in my head all of the time and I love it. It is my constant companion and I want to be able to give that feeling to others when I create and produce music.
Parlé Mag: If you could collaborate with any one artist, living or dead, who would it be and why?
Ray Chew: If I could collaborate with an artist right now, in this very moment, it would be Céline Dion. I just love the way she does music. I would put her together with Marvin Gaye. Marvin Gaye loved singing Big Band, and he wanted to be that kind of singer. What would that sound like? Céline and Marvin? Whoa!
Parlé Mag: If you could play any venue in the world, which one would you choose and why?
Ray Chew: I’ve had the honor of playing great venues all over the world, including Carnegie Hall, where we do our Night of Inspiration. My wife / business partner and I produce this event every couple of years with secular and inspirational artists who perform with a 64 piece orchestra and 150 mass choir, one of the great nights at Carnegie. I’d like to do that at Royal Albert Hall (South Kensington, London, England)… that would be my next great venue to play at.
Ray Chew On:
CURRENT STATE OF MUSIC:
Music is cyclical, and it comes back. What’s old is new, what’s new is old. What goes around comes around, and the voice of the artists that speak new songs is gonna be the lifeblood of what’s happening. So, I’m always concerned, but I’m always happy to hear where people are coming from at this very moment knowing that there’s going to be something new around the corner for people to express themselves through new fields, new genres, new things. It’s always gonna continue to evolve.
LONGEVITY:
One thing I remember is what Martin Luther King once said, “Like anybody, I would like to have a long life. Longevity has its place.” That stays with me. Longevity has its place because I think it’s relevant… as long as you are living in the moment, and I stay in the moment. Right now is always a wonderful time. And so is tomorrow, and so was yesterday. I can reflect upon yesterday. Enjoy today and look forward to tomorrow. That’s the way I live and go about my life.
OUTSIDE ASPIRATIONS:
My mother was a political activist, a social worker and many things. One of the things that she showed me and taught me was the value of feeding and giving to not only your community, but the soil and the ground that you walk on; the spirit of altruism. So, with that spirit, my wife and I created the Power To Inspire Foundation, in which our goal is to bridge the gap between those who have been educated – whether it’s by the streets or by an educational institution – and they’re ready and bringing them into the actual field and industry of music. We take young aspiring artists and executives by the hand, and bring them into the industry. Very important to me, the altruistic spirit.
AN AVERAGE DAY:
I don’t have an average day, and I don’t have a typical day. When I’m in season with shows like Dancing with the Stars, my days start early and they go long, and I’ll be on the set for 14 to 16 hours a day. And then other days, I’m working on my album and my own personal items, then I could spend that amount of time working on projects and trying to hone in on my inspiration. Then there are the days where I have to decompress, so I’ll play golf and do other things that inspire me. Then sometimes I need to really just air my head out and take a walk or just watch a little TV. But there is no typical day, and I like it that way.
INTERACTING WITH FANS:
I like to get face to face and in the minds and spirits of fans and people that want to get to know me more musically and as a person. I am very available. I’m very approachable. I wanna know you and I want you to know me. So, anybody that has a question, come up and talk to me. Let’s take some pictures. Visit my website: www.allthingschew.com, and send me a note. I try to answer as many emails and requests as possible. If you go on IG @RayChewLive, I’ll send you a note back. I like to be accessible to people, especially in spirit.
LEAST / FAVORITE PART(S) [ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY]:
The most enjoyable part of what I do is the music itself, being able to create music, record it and perform it. Some of the greatest moments I’ve had are performing with artists like Aretha Franklin and Anita Baker. Some of my greatest moments on stage were with Anita Baker, just enjoying hearing the fans sing back her music and her interacting with them. Great stuff. And some of the least favorite things are… sometimes the business can be disheartening. You see people do some things that that are unsavory, and you have to kind of learn to navigate the business. The challenges of that can be rewarding when you’re able to learn and overcome (those) mistakes. So those are some of the things that you have to live with. All a part of the journey, and that’s why I’m happy to share My Journey.
ADVICE:
I give offerings through my testimony, and I talk about the things I’ve done in my life and my career. And as I offer that to young aspiring artists and people that want to do some of the things that I do… I would say first of all, be prepared for whatever journey that you are aspiring toward. Get all the tools and all the skills necessary to arm yourself with all the knowledge again, and then embark on that and be ready to. You know, do things like course correction and, you know, start, do what you have to do, and know that there is no one way of doing anything and it could be every way of doing everything and just be ready for that and have fun doing it.
5-10 YEARS DOWN THE LINE:
Five years and 10 years from now, I’ll still be making music, writing music in film and television. I’ll also be speaking through young artists, and helping guide their careers. I’ll be producing for television shows, and owning an entertainment company that we’ll be able to pass on to my daughters and others in the business. I’m always gonna be doing something. There is no retirement for me.
PARTING WORDS:
I want people to know that the Ray Chew you see, with the smile on my face that’s genuine, a smile from the heart, a smile from inside. I say to you, if you got something to smile about, go ahead. Go ahead and do it. Have a great day. Play!
Image Credits: Ray Chew Records
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