John Daniel Ray is a progressive jazz bassist, composer, and innovative producer whose musical career spans over two decades. Through his production company, Mr. Haircut, John has released more than 30 albums featuring groundbreaking music across diverse genres. His extensive session work includes collaborations and recordings with hundreds of bands and ensembles, including iconic groups like The Allman Brothers Band and The Roots.

John began his musical journey at the age of 5, starting with piano and learning to read music before he could read English. By age 8, he was studying classical guitar and became certified to teach the Suzuki method at just 13 years old. John attended the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, graduating with a Music Performance Certificate in 2000. At age 17, he became the youngest member of the Winston-Salem Symphony, and he has been touring nationally and internationally with various groups since 2001.

As a composer, John has scored music for the feature film "0530," documentaries, and dance performances, showcasing his versatility and creative vision. Passionate about music education, John regularly leads improvisation workshops for middle school students and has taught private guitar and bass lessons for over 20 years.

John currently leads several innovative projects, including Vintage Astronaut, a progressive jazz/electronic ensemble that expands the boundaries of live performance by seamlessly integrating electronic elements and computers as improvisational tools, and Floraphonics, a creative endeavor transforming the subtle bioelectrical rhythms of plants into musical narratives using the innovative PlantWave device.

He also performs regularly with Emerald Empire, a high-energy dance/party band, and Posture, a Winston-Salem supergroup featuring virtuosic musicians. Additionally, he co-hosts and produces the Mr. Haircut podcast alongside renowned drummer Jonathan Greene, exploring the intersections of improvisation, music, and life.

Throughout his career, John has toured extensively, appearing multiple times with The Allman Brothers, touring for five years with The Embers, and co-founding the influential early-2000s hip-hop band Solos Unit. He has shared the stage with notable artists such as The Roots, Common, Wu-Tang Clan, George Clinton, Gap Band, Oteil Burbridge, Jazz is Phish, Jonathan Scales Fourchestra, and many others.

John is also an accomplished arranger, having created music for ensembles ranging from string quartets to handbell choirs. Fluent on keyboard bass, upright bass, and 4, 5, and 6-string electric basses, he uses Mainstage 3 for live performances and records primarily with Logic.