Electric/Acoustic/Synth Guitar, Bass, Sitar, Percussion, Vocals, Composer, Arranger, Producer, Musical Director

As a musician versed in many musical styles and cultures, Ray Ippolito has found
himself in the roles of performer, teacher, producer, band leader, arranger, music director, composer in the US as well as Japan, Brazil, Nepal, Venezuela, India, and BURNINGMAN.

He has also performed and/or recorded with such well renown artists as:

· Angelique Kidjo
· Richie Havens
· Steve Reid
· John Avila
· Mike Gordon
· The Mutaytor
·Charlie Musslewhite
· Stephen Perkins
· Baba Maal
· Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann
· Michael Franti
· String Cheese Incident
· Particle
· Graham Haynes
· Catfish
· Los Lobos
· Modern English
· Topaz
· Jim Belushi
· 10,000 Maniacs
· Zohar
· Jonathan Marin (Groove Collective)
· Ilhan Ershain (Wax Poetic)
· Mark Whitfield
· Baba Olatunji
· Chuck Rainey
· The Spin Doctors
· Dr. John
· Blues Travelers
· Atilla Engin
· Muzz Skillings (Living Colour)
· Paul Caldwell / Sean Ivory
· Kike Arnal

· Jeff Coffin
· Future man
· Walter Kronkite
· Reed Mathis
· Bettye LaVette
· Eumir Deodato
· Steve Kimock
· Yungchen Lhamo
· Brian McKnight
· Van Romaine (Steve Morse/Dixie Dregs)
· Arif Sag
· Arnie Lawrence (Dizzy Gillespie/Miles Davis, founder of the New School of Jazz)
· Gilad (Al DiMeola, Olodum)
· Al MacDowell (Ornette Coleman, Public Enemy)
· Michael Wolf (music director of the Arsenio Hall show)
· John Kruth
· Greg Bendian (Pat Metheny/Cecil Taylor)
· Frank Colon (Pat Metheny/Weather Report)
· Reggie Washington
· Rob Reddy
· Vijay Iyer
· Tim LeFebre
· Tony Scher
· Kizumba of Bahia
· Matt Moldover
· Dave Eggar
· Muthu Kumar
· Annada Prasanna Pattanaik (Butto)
· Jason Corsaro
· Daniel Pinchbeck
· Eddie Henderson
 

 

Playing such venues as: Carnegie Hall, Symphony Space, Lincoln Center, Madison Square Garden Theater, BB King's, Grand Central Station Earth Day Festival, Alex Grey's Chapel of Sacred Mirrors, Telemundo (Latin TV music show), Asayan TV (Tokyo, Japan), Carnival with Kizumba (through the streets of Bahia, Brazil), BURNINGMAN, Turkish and Indian Earthquake Relief Concerts, Tibetan Benefit Concerts, North American Choral Group, benefit for Seeds of Peace (Israeli-Palestinian org), at St John the Divine's, committee member/workshop artist for the Bergen County Teen Arts Festival, Adjudicator for the North American Steel Band Competition, Music director for the Turkish Embassy 2003, benefit for Voices in the Wilderness and many others.

Studying at such prestigious institutions as Berklee College of Music and Musicians Institute (Honors Degree recipient), as well as private studies/lick stealing with Scott Henderson, Wayne Krantz, Harold Blanchard, and Vic Juris, has afforded Ray the well versed knowledge of a formal education that has been the backbone of his music career. Teaching privately, group lessons, and industry clinics for Gibson, Steinberger, Alesis, and Pearl, makes his connection to the music industry all the more vast. Ray currently endorses, thanks, and is contracted to offer his first born to such reputable, generous, loving, and precious companies as Dean Markley Strings, Godin Guitars, Jerry Jones Sitars, and BURNINGMAN.