There are few bars around Portland that have an old-timey feel. The ballroom at the Secret Society in northeast Portland, where I came to see Jake Ray perform, is just about as old timey as you can get. From the curtains on the windows, the old stage lights to the hardwood dance floor, the whole room looked as though nothing had changed for 100 years. There wouldn’t be a better place for this old time country singer, old singer trapped in the body of a man in his late 30’s. Aside, of course, from the Landmark Saloon where Jake has played every Wednesday night for the past year “come hell or high water.” Jake, a tall, thin, whiskey soaked gentleman, hiding his glossy eyes under the shade of his cowboy hat, up to this point hadn’t realized I wasn’t a real columnist from Rolling Stone Magazine. Telling me not to write about his sonofabitch father
whose music career had led to a few foot-in-the-doors for Jake. “Don’t put that in there,” Jake says pointing at my notepad, “He’s a sonofabitch.”
I arrived to the venue around 9:30 with my girlfriend, Talia and her friend, Emily. Talia and I love live country music and considering the shortage of it in our area, we were thrilled to walk into a place half-full of couples two-stepping to a simple three piece band wearing cowboy hats. Emily, recently single, was happy to get out for the night and possibly mingle with a cowboy or two. The atmosphere is fun. Everyone is laughing and even though they’re all strangers, we feel like we’re out drinking with a bunch of old buddies. I keep thinking to myself, “Where are all these people hiding the rest of the time?”
Jake Ray’s band, The Cowdogs which features Tim Acott on bass, Ian Miller on lead guitar, and an elusive Paul Brainard who usually plays pedal steel but wasn’t able to attend this gig on account of playing at the Alberta Rose Theater which I would have gone to instead but it was sold out. Acott is an older fellow with a long grey beard and hair that flows out from under his black cowboy hat. He thumps on an upright bass that appears to be older than him, and sits down when he plays which might negate the term “upright”. He sings harmony and has a sailors tongue. Ian Miller looks as though he just arrived from Johnny Cash’s funeral. He wears all black and picks around on a white Fender Tele, adding feeling to the music with tremolo and hot country riffs. “I don’t know how, but I am completely blessed to have these amazing musicians play with me,” Jake says “They kinda just showed up on day.”
The band takes a break in the middle of their set and this is when I start interviewing Mr. Ray. We sit around a small table near the dance floor, me, Talia, Emily, Jake and his friend Tyler. He tells me not to ask him about his influences and where he’s from but somehow we end
up getting into detail about Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, John Prine, and the Outlaws of country; Willie, Waylon, Mearle, Johnny, Kris, etc. Tyler is a loud guy. Originally from Texas, he relocated to Oregon for reasons unknown. He talks more than Jake which is ok because he has known him for about a year and is able to tell me a little more about him than I would be able to extract from Jake himself. The laugh and joke and curse at each other, Tyler slaps Jake’s chest as he heads to the bar to order another drink. “Damn, that bastard slaps hard,” Jake says, wiping his spilled drink off his shirt. We talk about the Highwaymen and Steve Earle, share experiences of seeing and meeting some of the old stars. All too predictably Bob Dylan’s name emerges into the conversation and Jake turns to me, “Man, I just gotta gripe to you for a second, Bob Dylan worked real hard to try and be popular with his music but Ramblin Jack Elliott - you ever heard of him? – Ramblin jack Elliott just did it ‘cause he likes doin just that. They don’t call him Ramblin Jack Elliott because he goes from one place to the next, they call him that ‘cause sometimes he don’t shut up.” Jake continues “Him and John Prine, be my biggest influences.” I ask him how he manages to keep his music traditional and roots-based with all the contemporary influences in our culture today. He responds, “It’s like this, this may sound cheese ball or whatever but from when I wake up in the morning, I eat breathe and sleep roots – It’s what I do.” He tells me that it takes more than just singing and playing traditional folk music from the south, you actually have to live like it too. He talks about other classic American music styles he likes including Motown, “Any kind of music where the lyrics move you or the rhythm (hits his chest) grooves you.”
After a short visit and an interview, we all seem to be good buddies and Jake and his band go back up on stage to play the other half of their set. Not long after this, stiff drinks, multiple drunken handshakes, compliments on my mossy oak pattern hat, and conversations of
living in out in the country are bestowed upon us. Jake and his band continue to laugh and joke in between songs, new and old, covers and originals. He takes requests and sings a Townes Van Zandt song, Don’t Take It Too Bad. He then sings a few originals and ends with a song that was written by his father called Robbin Banks. At this time Tyler leans in to inform me that his father may have passed away some time ago. The band is clearly having a great time and at one point Jake says into the microphone, “I can’t believe I’m being paid to do this.” Tyler responds from the floor, “Me neither!” The whole bar laughs.
After the set ended, Jake lets Emily play one song on his guitar. She sings well and receives a grand applause from the half crowded bar, and woos the eyes of Jake Ray who then asks her to dance. We’re then invited to join them for drinks at the Landmark Saloon, where we carry on conversations about old time country music until we close out the bar and each go our separate ways.
