I miss Ray Wylie Hubbard now that I am not in Texas anymore. The opportunities to grab some face time are fewer and further between. Ray always has a way of cutting through the white noise of life, to targeting what is important. And then that is conveyed quietly, gently. Or loudly with some pretty intense growling going on. It’s all good. I saw on Facebook that he will be coming up to NYC to do the Letterman show on January 9th . That will be a treat for all of us. A few years ago after the Texas Independence Day concert at Terminal 5, Ray, Rick Richards, Lucas Hubbard and I went down to Chinatown to my favorite restaurant, Wo Hop at 17 Mott Street. Ya gotta go downstairs to get the good stuff. Ray, consider this an open invitation to head down there again if you have time.

The album The Grifter’s Hymnal was released earlier this year, and we asked Ray to come on by during the Spring Music Fog Marathon at Threadgill’s in March. I love how packed out the room gets when Ray comes to play. You have the chance to see him on Sunday if you can get to the Somervell County 1st Annual Fall Festival at the Texas Amphitheatre in Glen Rose, Texas. Ray and band hit the stage at 9:30pm. Here is the Music Fog recording of one of the songs from the latest album, “Red Badge Of Courage.”

-Jessie Scott