Groupe Bluegrass US formé au début des années soixante et composé de Red Cravens, Nate Bray, Harley Bray, Jim Raines et John Hartford. Les Bray Brothers se sont séparés en 1971.

One of the more talented, though little known, traditional bluegrass bands of the early 1960s, The Bray Brothers, usually accompanied by guitarist Red Cravens, were typical of the many regional artists who began to take up playing bluegrass outside of the South. Hailing from Champaign-Urbana, IL, The Bray Brothers have very little to point to in the way of a recording legacy, as the majority of their performances were at unrecorded festivals and on the Cornbelt Country Style radio show of WHOW in Clinton, IL, from which few tapes have survived. What has survived, however, points to an outstanding traditional bluegrass band, with lead vocalist and mandolinist Nate Bray leading brothers Francis and Harley Bray in a very tight bluegrass ensemble. Early on, under the direction of Red Cravens, being both older and more experienced and knowledgeable in the ways of bluegrass, pointed the young Brays in the direction of the classic sounds of Bill Monroe and Flatt & Scruggs. The four would eventually combine for tight, though not overpowering harmonies, and increasingly impressive instrumental skills. Soon Nate Bray would become so accomplished on the mandolin that Monroe himself would pay considerable respect to his talents, as the Bray Brothers would serve an apprenticeship by becoming Monroe's house band in his Bean Blossom festivals. It was after those appearances that the Brays landed the aforementioned radio gig, which soon resulted in a Grand Ole Opry appearance and a contract with Liberty Records. When their debut failed to make any considerable noise, the band was forced to go back into the workforce as performances became few and far between. In 1971, Nate Bray would die of Hodgkin's disease and a tribute entitled 419 W. Main was compiled of the Bray Brothers radio performances. Further compiling led to 1976's Prairie Bluegrass, which was re-released by Rounder in the spring of 2000 with long lost bonus tracks.

Talents : Red Cravens : Vocals, Tenor, Guitar - Nate Bray : Vocals, Guitar, Mandolin - Harley Bray : Baritone, Banjo - Jim Raines : Fiddle - John Hartford : Fiddle

Style musical : Bluegrass, Folk

HARLEY'S BREAKDOWN (196?) RED ROCKING CHAIR (196?)

Years in activity :

DISCOGRAPHY

Single

Albums

1972	LP 12" ROUNDER 015 (US)		419 W. MAIN - RED CRAVENS & THE BRAY BROTHERS - Hazel Dell / Our Darlings Gone / Bluegrass Breakdown / Angel With The Golden Hair / Jingle Bell Breakdown / Cora Is Gone / Pass Me By / Cumberland Gap / Rawhide / Lost Love / Little Darling Pal Of Mine / This Train / Buckin Mule / Gentle Blues / Blue Eyed Darling / Sally Goodin
1976	LP 12" ROUNDER 0053 (US)		PRAIRIE BLUEGRASS - THE BRAY BROTHERS WITH RED CRAVENS - Opening Theme / Blue Eyed Darling / John Henry / Barbara Allen / Girl In The Blue Velvet Band / Harley's Breakdown / Red Rocking Chair / Stoney Point / Thinking About You / Station Break / In Despair / Toy Heart / Billy In The Low Ground / Walk On Boy / Home Sweet Home / Little Birdie / Closing Theme / Harbor Of Love / Closing Theme
1997	CD ROUNDER 0015 (US)		419 WEST TRAIN - RED CRAVENS & THE BRAY BROTHERS - This Train / Glory In The Meeting House / Bluegrass Breakdown / Cora Is Gone / East Virginia Blues / Jingle Bell Breakdown / Blue Eyed Darling / Little Darling Pal Of Mine / Pass Me By / Cumberland Gap / I Never Shall Marry / Lost Love / Sally Goodin / Gentle Blues / Rawhide / Angel With The Golden Hair / Buckin' Mule / Our Darling's Gone / Hazel Dell
03/2000	CD ROUNDER 1011 (US)		PRAIRIE BLUEGRASS - THE BRAY BROTHERS WITH RED CRAVENS - Opening Theme [Buckin' Mule] / Blue Eyed Darling / Girl In The Blue Velvet Band / Harley's Breakdown / Thinking About You / Station Break / Toy Heart / Billy In The Low Ground / Little Birdie / Red Rocking Chair / Stoney Point / Station Break / In Despair / High Cost Of Living / I Am A Pilgrim / Home Sweet Home / Closing Theme / When First Unto This Country / Barbara Allen / Walk On Boy / John Henry / Harbor Of Love

© Rocky Productions 19/07/2011