Koerner, Ray & Glover
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1962 |
| Headquarters | Minneapolis , United States |
| Products | Blues music albums and performances |
Koerner, Ray & Glover is a blues ensemble originating from Minneapolis, Minnesota, established in 1962. The group consisted of "Spider" John Koerner handling guitar and vocals, Dave "Snaker" Ray also on guitar and vocals, and Tony "Little Sun" Glover playing the harmonica. They played a significant role in the folk and blues resurgence of the 1960s.
History
The members of Koerner, Ray & Glover connected through the folk music community surrounding the University of Minnesota, where Koerner and Ray were enrolled as students. Their mutual passion for folk and blues music led to various recording sessions and performances, more often in separate or duo formats rather than as a full trio. Ray once described their collaboration as better characterized by "Koerner and/or Ray and/or Glover." Their initial album, Blues, Rags and Hollers, debuted in 1963. Following this, they produced two additional records under Elektra Records, with Koerner and Ray also pursuing solo projects on the same label. Meanwhile, Glover became an author of one of the earliest instructional books focused on blues harmonica.
The trio appeared at the Newport Folk Festival, with their performance featured on Vanguard Records' compilation Newport Folk Festival 1964: Evening Concerts III and included in the 1967 documentary Festival!.
Primarily active within Minneapolis's Dinkytown district during the early 1960s, they left a lasting impact on emerging musicians such as Bob Dylan, who recounted his experiences with them in his memoir, Chronicles. Koerner was Dylan’s initial musical associate in Minneapolis and provided mentorship in folk and blues traditions. Dylan also admired Ray’s twelve-string guitar playing alongside Glover’s harmonica skills.
Beyond influencing Dylan, their style also inspired artists like Bonnie Raitt. In the latter part of the 1960s, they regularly performed at local Minneapolis venues including the Triangle Bar and Palmer's Bar. When Koerner retired in 2023, he gifted a 12-string Epiphone guitar to Palmer's, where it remains exhibited.
The group maintained sporadic live appearances until Ray passed away in 2002. Subsequently, Koerner and Glover continued performing as a duo until Glover's death in 2019. A live trio recording from Bryant-Lake Bowl in Minneapolis was released under the title One Foot in the Groove (1996). Additionally, Koerner and Glover issued a duo live album entitled Live @ The 400 Bar in 2009.
John Koerner, the final surviving member of the band, died on May 18, 2024, aged 85.
Awards
In 1983, Koerner, Ray & Glover were honored as "Best Folk Group" by the Minnesota Music Academy and subsequently inducted into its Hall of Fame two years later in 1985.
Their album Blues, Rags and Hollers earned them induction into the Minnesota Blues Hall of Fame in 2008.
The trio also received a star on the exterior mural of Minneapolis's renowned nightclub First Avenue, an accolade given to artists who have sold out shows or made significant cultural contributions to the venue. This distinction is regarded as one of Minneapolis’s highest public honors for musicians.
Discography
- Studio albums
- Blues, Rags and Hollers (1963)
- Lots More Blues, Rags and Hollers (1964)
- The Return of Koerner, Ray & Glover (1965)
- Live albums
- Good Old Koerner, Ray & Glover (1972)
- One Foot in the Groove (1996)