Ray Carless

UK saxophonist Ray Carless was one of this country’s finest, working with influential artists such as Adele, Incognito and The Heliocentrics before his untimely passing in 2022…

During the time of the jazz-funk boom, in 1981 Ray released the single ‘Tarantula Walk’ on Ensign Records, co-written by fellow sax man Patrick McLean of Hi-Tension. More recently he featured on Adele’s massive ’21’ album and headed his own ska band by the name of Ray Carless and The Lively Up Crew.

Ray continued to produce music and run the popular Club Skaville around the capital and the rest of the country.

In 2021, Ray featured with rising UK reggae artist Keri-Ann‘s debut release ‘Neither One Of Us’, produced by Likkle Minty. A rework of the Gladys Knight & The Pips classic, paying homage to Lovers Rock, and Ray was recruited for a swooning sax version re-dubbed ‘Neither Sax Of Us’!

London born Ray once said “I’ve played on a couple of hit records but don’t ask me to play like any other players… I only do Ray Carless and I love to play my saxophone in my own style, tenor and soprano saxes are the horns with which i feel most comfortable.”

He certainly looked most comfortable that day, playing effortlessly in the Beggar & Co (The Original Light Of The World) line-up at our third Summer Soulstice back in 2009 and again performing with Hi-Tension five years later… Rest in peace maestro.