Acclaimed songwriter and bluesman Ray Bonneville returns to the road for special performances across Canada in September and October. With a greasy guitar groove, horn-like harmonica, smoky vocals and pulsing foot percussion, Bonneville has carved out a sound that is unmistakably his own — raw, rhythmic, and deeply evocative.
Known as the master of the slow burn, Bonneville’s songs simmer with tension and space, spotlighting characters on the fringe: loners, drifters, and working people moving through shadowy cities and quiet highways. “Folk-roots gumbo… a languid Mississippi Delta groove, seasoned with smooth, weathered vocals and a propulsive harmonica wheeze,” wrote Jim Withers of the Montreal Gazette.
Raised in French Canada, Ray spent his formative music years in New Orleans, a city that permanently shaped his phrasing, rhythm, and storytelling. “With darkness and light fighting for dominance… he’s stripped away every musical excess to let the songs speak for themselves,” says AllMusic’s Thom Jurek.
Ray began writing songs at the age of 40 — and he’s been making up for lost time ever since. Over the last 35 years, he’s released ten albums, toured relentlessly across the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Australia, and built a devoted audience through mesmerizing solo performances where he becomes his own backing band. He is currently preparing to release his eleventh album, working title Nomads and Refugees, in January 2026.
He has earned several accolades, including a Juno Award for Gust of Wind in 1999, and two more Juno nominations. His powerful track “I Am the Big Easy,” a tribute to post-Katrina New Orleans, was named Folk Song of the Year in 2009 and later recorded by Jennifer Warnes in 2018. In 2012, Ray took top honors in the International Blues Challenge (solo category) in Memphis.
Don’t miss the chance to see him live — where every note and every pause tells a story.
Ray Bonneville Tour Dates:
September 12, 2025 The Loft Sault Ste. Marie, ON
September 26, 2025 New Glasgow Theatre New Glasgow, NS
October 1, 2025 The Carleton Halifax, NS
October 2, 2025 Osprey Arts Centre Shelburne, NS
https://raybonneville.com/home
Quotes from the interview
On the East Coast & Audiences
“The Maritimes come from a tradition of kitchen parties, family gatherings, friends and music — it’s always a warm feeling. People there just love music.”
“Every time I play Nova Scotia, I like it a lot. The audiences really love hearing this kind of music because they don’t get to see it delivered too often live.”
On His Musical Style & Influences
“My style has blues in it, but I wouldn’t call myself a blues guy. I’m more of a songwriter influenced by many things, including blues.”
“I lived in Louisiana for quite a while, so I’ve got a Louisiana feel in me. Really, it goes from song to song — some are bluesy, some are country, some are other things.”
“Every artist is a product of their influences. All I ask of music — or books or films — is to believe it. I just want to believe it.”
On Songwriting
“When I’m writing a song, it could take me years, or it could pop out in 45 minutes. The song is in the driver’s seat.”
“I have to get to the meat of it, to the reality of it. I’m not happy until I get there.”
“When I play a new song live, it’s not about the audience reaction. It’s about whether I hear myself telling the artistic truth or not.”
On Touring
“Townes Van Zandt said, playing folk music is 10% playing and 90% driving. I’m getting a little tired of the driving — but I still love performing.”
“I’ve maintained a level where I wear all the hats. I’m the boss and I don’t have to check in with anyone about anything.”
“I bring three guitars on the road — one in standard, one in open G, one in open D — plus harmonicas and some songs and a couple of jokes.”
“I’m a joke collector. I don’t tell a lot of jokes on stage, but I might pop one out here and there.”
On Life in Northern Ontario
“Right now I’m in Northern Ontario on Lake Superior. I come up here in May and leave at the end of September. I write songs here, fish, and tour from here. I like it.”
“It seems to me like time’s going by faster. Of course it’s not — it’s just the way I see it.”
