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NW Noise Interviews
Trevor Ras
by Jason Gearhart
“Call me tonight. Sit and wait for my call.”
It’s that time of year once again where backyard barbeques and beachside bummin’ are all the rage and of course, your Jason Gears is here to make sure that while you’re listening to your iPod on some sunny southern California beach or crankin’ up the music for your guests at your BBQ extravaganza, musician Trevor Ras and his debut solo record Let It Roll is playing and soothing you in whatever summertime situation you’re in.
Let It Roll, a 7-track EP, offers a blend of nostalgia, tales of the ups and downs of life and a message on being able to follow through in going after your dreams. “It’s (the album) about being true to myself, throwin’ all my cards on the table and just letting it roll,” said Trevor Ras. When asked what his favorite track on the album was, Ras quickly stated that the closing track The Journey was the closest song to him. “It’s about having that last hurrah of moving on to new things in life, but you’ll never lose that bond you have with family and friends,” Ras remarked.
For this project, Ras teamed up with his longtime friend and bandmate Adam Gershon who played in the band Big Time Rosie with Ras throughout the late 90’s. Gershon actually wrote the track Call Me Tonight, the headlining track on Let It Roll, and he provided some background vocals, drumming and guitar throughout the the EP as well. Friend and former bandmate Michael Herrman also lended his guitar prowess to the EP. Herrman was in the band Life After Liftoff with Ras, also in the late 90’s.
Even with the recent release of Ras’s debut record, he is already planning on recording a new record that he hopes will be ready for release sometime around Christmas of 2006. While Let It Roll displays the mellow side to Ras’s creativity, he says the new album in the works will carry a different vibe. “We’ll probably take a few tracks from the current EP and spice them up a bit. We’ll have some more upbeat numbers on the new record,” remarked Ras.
What makes Ras an interesting listen is the fact that he offers up that extra little something through the smooth sounds of his saxophone playing on the record. Ras is a saxophonist by trade who originally learned how to play the piano around the age of 8, but he never felt completely comfortable with the keys so he shifted towards the guitar and the aforementioned saxophone to satiate his musical delights. On a side note, Ras played a brief saxophone solo on Northwest Noise Podcast during the Justin Hopkins interview that took place in Eugene, Oregon on April 12th, 2006. Check it out, but not after finishing this write-up, thank you very much!
Throughout the first half of 2006, Ras has been touring with various west coast musicians which have included Justin Hopkins, Scott Fisher and Michael Herrman He also plans to head up to Alaska in August for a 10-date run up there before coming back to the west coast for a tour in September. Of course, he can always be found playing at least once a week in southern California venue.
At a time when Trevor Ras was building his credibility as a reputable stage performer in the late 90’s and the early part of this century, he has had the opportunity to play with and for some high level musicians and politicians such as former President Bill Clinton, the band Fishbone, and with Steve Miller in Walla Walla, Washington where he played such Steve Miller Band classics as The Joker and Jet Airliner. He’s also had the fortune to attend a 2005 Grammy Awards after party where he met musicians such as Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, Isaac Hayes and Maurice White of Earth, Wind and Fire fame. Ras received words of encouragement regarding his musical aspirations. Ras explained, “I got advice that night to not ever let it (the music industry) get to me.”
Other than holding numerous talents in creating and playing music, Ras has also been making a name for himself in the freelance public relations game where he currently represents such Portland musicians as Matthew Voth and Debra Arlyn. He also represents various independent films such as “Let’s Talk” and consumer products such as Agua Mantra, a bottled water company. “PR is great because I get to work with people who I want to work with and get on people’s bandwagon,” said Ras. Prior to relocating to Los Angeles, California in late 2005, Ras had worked for Big Wheel Productions in Portland, Oregon where he booked his own bands’ gigs as well as album release parties for various acts.
Trevor Ras is hungry to create music that’s good for the soul, as he calls it, and he wants people everywhere to feast on the musical stories he tells. Since it is summertime, it’s important to have music by your side that’ll be sure to enhance the great times you’re already having. Trevor Ras’s Let It Roll album is that little extra shot of alcohol which will make you feel good from head to toe, without being at risk for a next day hangover. Check out a Trevor Ras show if he’s in a city near you, buy him a beer and a shot, buy his record and keep on listening to his music long after summertime turns to fall. You and your soul won’t regret it!
To contact Trevor Ras, go to:
The Trevor Ras Official Homepage
The Trevor Ras Myspace Page
Trevor Ras – Let It Roll (Track Listing)
Call Me Tonight
Let It Roll
Love Story
Roller Coaster
She Said
The Way It Goes
The Journey
You can purchase the Let It Roll EP from Trevor Ras at the following places:
CD Baby
Music Millenium in Portland, OR
CD Exchange in Eugene, OR
iTunes for download
At any Trevor Ras show
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