The 301 Live Session album Ray Beadle

Sydney-based award-winning guitarist Ray Beadle releases his first album in 7 years in the form of The 301 Live Session.

Featuring Ray Beadle on guitar & vocals, Jonathan Zwartz on double bass and Andrew Dickeson on snare & brushes, The 301 Live Session saw the trio hit Studios 301 in March 2020 to record the 9-track album. Recorded and produced by Stefan Du Rant, mastered by 301's Steve Smart and executively produced by Geoff Trio & Ron Haryanto, the result is a slick collection of selected Beadle originals and legendary blues numbers (covering the likes of Robert Johnson, J.B. Lenoir, Louis Jordan, L.J. Welch, Joseph Perkins Greene, Muddy Waters and J. Smith).

In the lead up to the album's release, live tracks & videos have been drip fed along the way and to coincide with the album's release, Ray gives you the final track from the album - his take on George Benson's 'Bayou'. Of the track, Ray says "This is a George Benson track that I ran past the band with just before we started recording. This is not a strong style of mine, but I will always enjoy the challenge of playing the style of Be-Bop Blues. Andrew and Jonathan really blew me away on this track!"

Excited for the release of his first album in seven years, Beadle says; "Recording this live in studio album was spontaneous and fun. I'm very grateful to be joined by two of the finest musicians I know." The album also marks the first release for newly launched Jazz & Blues label Interface Music.

A fixture on the live music circuit, the prominent guitarist has supported the likes of Albert Lee, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Robert Cray, Joe Bonamassa, Eric Bibb and more… If you hoped to catch Ray perform at this year's Byron Bay Bluesfest and Blues on Broadbeach before the Covid-19 pandemic sadly hit, releasing this collection of live tracks should just be the perfect tonic for your live music fix. In the meantime, Ray has just been announced on the line up to perform at Byron Bay Bluesfest 2021.