JMI-12: After JMI-1 and 2, we pretty much thought Ray can do any type of recording and make it great. That led us to think hard, always a dangerous proposition: we need to be as direct as possible at making our point that Ray is a top pianist! Solo piano. That great tradition from Art Tatum through Keith Jarrett always was the most powerful platform to elicit the “wows”. And so one day in the fall of 2022, Ray came to Reservoir Studios, sat down at the Steinway piano that was delivered for him (by Steinway) and barely got up for the next two hours. There are some experiences which defy words. Listening to Ray release a torrent of music quite unlike anything we’ve heard, was one such event. The pieces were part classical, part jazz, part pop and all Ray. We couldn’t bear to leave one note unreleased so….the first JMI box set, in which Ray will join Mr. Jarrett as a rare talent who can make you totally forget you’re hearing solo piano because his music suffuses the mind with less earthbound sensations. Cover once again shot by Jill Greenberg and deluxe booklet with writings by Questlove and Black Thought, among others, included.