Guitar Prodigy Ray Goren to Bring Solo Concert at Genghis Cohen

Guitar prodigy Ray Goren performs his Solo Concert atGenghis Cohen, 740 N. Fairfax Ave., this Saturday, February 18. Set time: 7:30 pm. $10. Info: (323) 653-0640 or www.genghiscohen.com.

"At Genghis Cohen he played solely with the aid of a sampler for multi tracks and rhythms to showcase soon-to-be-released new songs. Those who came were won over by the guitarist/singer's talent and disarming personality. Equally arresting in a different way was techno pop "Manners" that was well suited for the present-day pop scene and also included ripping guitar," writes L.A. Jazz Scene in their review of Ray's January show there. The Los Angeles Beatattended Goren's Genghis Cohen gig in January, saying this: "Last Saturday night, he performed in a solo show at Genghis Cohen in Los Angeles. Showcasing his new-found mastery of writing his own songs, as well as his treatment of a few covers, the show was well-received by the packed room."

As he continues to musically mature and grow his guitar prowess, Ray's sound has morphed into a vibrant amalgamation of the Blues, Rock, Alternative, Soul, and even some Hip-Hop (not unusual, considering he's all of sixteen years of age). Watch for 2017 to be the year that Ray Goren makes his presence felt on not only the national, but international, stage.

Dazzled by Goren's raw, intense live performances, Chicago Tribune critic Howard Reich once wrote, "No one rattles the place like Ray Goren."

The New York City-born, Southern California-raised singer, songwriter and trailblazing electric guitarist has been getting jaw-dropping attention since he first picked up the guitar at age eight. A purely indie self-release, Save My SoulEP title single, reached the Top 40 on the BDS (Billboard/Nielsen) Triple AAA radio chart.

Goren traces his musical trajectory back to when he and his parents lived in a small apartment on New York's Upper West Side. He was noodling around on a toy keyboard at the age of three and by five the budding musician was listening to Oscar Peterson and Thelonious Monk, and playing jazz on his piano. Ray has said that "the soul of my music is tied to the blues. However, instead of growing and evolving from blues to rock, I listened to Stevie Wonder, D'Angelo, Amy Winehouse, Donny Hathaway, Prince and others. Later I listened to rock artists like, Jimi Hendrix, Maroon 5, Arctic Monkeys, Radiohead and Imagine Dragon. I have also always been inspired by lyrically-driven artists like Leon Russell, Bob Dylan and more recently by J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar and Drake. I want to be a unique artist and create my own sound."

As he continues to musically mature and grow his guitar prowess, Ray's sound has morphed into a vibrant amalgamation of the Blues, Rock, Alternative, Soul, and even some Hip-Hop (not unusual, considering he's all of sixteen years of age). Watch for 2017 to be the year that Ray Goren makes his presence felt on not only the national, but international, stage.

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