Obit: Raphael (Ray) Boguslav, July 18, 2010

Subject: RE: Obit: Raphael (Ray) Boguslav, July 18, 2010
From: BK Lick
Date: 15 May 13 - 11:19 AM

In Memoriam

Subject: RE: Obit: Raphael (Ray) Boguslav, July 18, 2010
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 15 May 13 - 05:42 AM

I've just discovered this thread and added Ray to the "In Memoriam" Thread.

RIP

Peter

Subject: RE: Obit: Raphael (Ray) Boguslav, July 18, 2010
From: Joe Offer
Date: 14 May 13 - 07:25 PM

Here's a YouTube video of Boguslav singing "Buffalo Skinners:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3OFihMuNv8

...and one on his calligraphy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7Tyh2RYH9U

This page (click) has a track listing for his 1957 Riverside LP, Songs from a Village Garret:

A1                 MacPherson's Lament                
A2                 Bowling Green                
A3                 Tobacco's But An Indian Weed                
A4                 Moneymusk                
A5                 Grows In The Garden                
A6                 The Flying Dutchman                
A7                 Rambling Boy                
B1                 Weevily Wheat                
B2                 High Germany                
B3                 Turtle Dove                
B4                 Year Of Jublio                
B5                 The State Of Elanoy                
B6                 Buffalo Skinners                
B7                 Wagoner's Lad

Subject: RE: Obit: Ray Boguslav (July 18, 2010)
From: GUEST,Judy Collins
Date: 12 Mar 11 - 11:12 AM

I just read of Ray/s death--he was such an amazing and wonderful man, gifted musician, artist, pianist!!! designer-married to my friend Donna and Ray was one of two people who, in 1964-5 encouraged me to call Max Margulis who was the man who taught me to sing and with whom I studied for 32 years. I owe a great deal to Ray and am so saddened that he and I lost touch with each other over the years. But I do speak of him and think of him often, he was a special and gifted man. Judy Collins--singer, writer, activist-

Subject: RE: Obit: Ray Boguslav (July 18, 2010)
From: GUEST,ed benguiat
Date: 09 Mar 11 - 07:20 PM

Ray and I worked together as beginners at Koodin Lapow, NYC. It was our very first art job.
During our lunch hour Ray would practice with his guitar and offer me some of his baklava.
Though out the years (40+) Ray and I spoke very little but we both knew what each of us was up too. I loved Ray as a friend and the respect I had for his contributions to the arts for perfection always amazed me.
Ed Benguiat

Subject: RE: Obit: Ray Boguslav (July 18, 2010)
From: Don Firth
Date: 26 Nov 10 - 03:03 PM

Sorry to hear this. I actually saw him once from a distance. He was with Harry Belafonte in one of his concerts in Seattle. First guitarist on the right.

I picked up his "Songs from a Village Garrett" sometime in the late 1950s. Good songs, well sung, and with very tasty arrangements. Learned several songs from that record that served me well in performance. Two in particular were "MacPherson's Farewell" and "The Flying Dutchman."

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Obit: Ray Boguslav (July 18, 2010)
From: GUEST,Brayton Harris
Date: 25 Nov 10 - 08:40 PM

Late add . . . I was suddenly reminded of Ray by a comment by Judy Collins on a radio interview, today (November 25, 2010) . . . and looked him up. To find that he had recently passed.

1958, I had a small and otherwise obscure printing business in Greenwich Village. Worked with Ed Corley, LeRoi Jones, Jack Kerouac, Ed Rosenblum, and Ray, who used to absorb maybe a pound of coffee a day while creating, well, logos for rich clients. Nothing to do with music.

[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Obit: Raphael (Ray) Boguslav, July 18, 2010
From: Hrothgar
Date: 27 Aug 10 - 01:25 AM

Sorry to hear it. I have a valued copy of "Songs From a Vikkage Garret" - copied onto CD, I'm glad to say.

Subject: Obit: Raphael (Ray) Boguslav, July 18, 2010
From: GUEST,babypix
Date: 27 Aug 10 - 01:16 AM

I am so terribly sad to report the death of my dear friend, colleague, and constant inspiration, Raphael Boguslav. Raphael, (known in folk music circles as "Ray") touched so many of us with his artfully-crafted renditions of songs recorded on his album, "Songs from a Village Garrett", and later others. The beauty of his voice and intelligent guitar-playing also translated into a career of calligraphy, logotype creation, and also classical piano. Raphael was also a sought-after accompanist and traveled/recorded extensively with Theo Bikel and Harry Belafonte. If you haven't had the opportunity to hear his early recordings, rush to seek them out, you're in for a treat. What a loss. A fine, fine man.

Obit below from the Newport Daily News:

Raphael Boguslav
NEWPORT - Raphael Boguslav,

80, of Old Beach Road, Newport, RI, died on Sunday, July 18, 2010 at Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, one week before his 81st birthday, from complications from injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident.
He is survived by his former wife, Donna Boguslav of Manhattan, New York, NY and by Mary Ann Kesson of Portsmouth, RI, his partner of fourteen years.
Born in New York, NY on July 24, 1929, he was the son of the late Isaac and Mary (Brown) Boguslav.
Raphael attended the High School of Music and Art in New York and subsequently graduated from the Cooper Union School of Art in that city. Equally talented musically he was a skillful classical pianist and a distinguished guitarist and singer. He toured extensively with Harry Belafonte and with Theodore Bikel, gave a solo concert at Carnegie Hall, and released two solo recordings.
Through the sixties he worked as a graphic designer for the firm of Lippincott and Margulies in New York, where he produced package designs, trademarks and logotypes including such iconic images as the New York Life insurance logotype and the trademark for the Internal Revenue Service. Following this he ran his own graphic design studio in Manhattan for several years. His graphic work and his pen and brush lettering earned him a prominent place in the world of fine art calligraphy.
In the nineteen seventies he moved to Newport, Rhode Island where he studied painting and continued his work as a graphic designer. He was an ardent tennis player and fan, a devoted reader, a brilliant conversationalist and a valued friend to all who knew him.
A memorial service is planned for the month of September on a date to be announced.
Funeral arrangements are by Memorial Funeral Home, 375 Broadway, Newport, RI.
Condolences, information and directions are available at www.memorialfuneralhome.com

Subject: RE: Obit: Ray Boguslav (July 18, 2010)
From: GUEST,Happy Traum
Date: 03 Aug 10 - 09:01 AM

Ray might have been the first person I ever heard play guitar in Washington Square, and that scene stands out among a lot of dimmer memories of that time. It must have been 1954 or '55 and some friends and I had come to the Village on a night off from being counsellors at a summer camp. We got in late on a warm August night and were wandering around the Square at about midnight when I saw two guys sitting on the rim of the fountain playing Scottish-sounding songs, complete with bagpipe-like droning, on classical guitars. The sound was completely entrancing to me, as was that adventurous night and these two slightly bohemian-looking guys playing beautiful music on their guitars. I found out a while later that it was Ray Boguslav and Dick Greenhaus.

I've seen Dick recently but haven't seen Ray in, probably, half a century. I was, nonetheless, very saddened to hear of his passing.

Subject: RE: Obit: Ray Boguslav (July 18, 2010)
From: GUEST,from tokyo
Date: 23 Jul 10 - 04:50 AM

i have his RIVERSIDE album " songs from a village garret".
this LP is my favorite album.

thanks,

kiyohide kunizaki
tokyo folklore center

Subject: RE: Obit: Ray Boguslav (July 18, 2010)
From: GUEST,Bill Prindle
Date: 23 Jul 10 - 02:01 AM

I'm the guy that produced the slide show about Raphael. An immense talent and wonderful guy. I'm a better person for having known him.

Subject: RE: Obit: Ray Boguslav (July 18, 2010)
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 22 Jul 10 - 12:18 PM

BTW-Ray didn't introduce the extra beat at the end of the second line of Weevily Wheat---that's the way he learned it from me.

Subject: RE: Obit: Ray Boguslav (July 18, 2010)
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 22 Jul 10 - 11:35 AM

An old pal, and a fine guitarist. Another man done gone.

Subject: RE: Obit: Ray Boguslav (July 18, 2010)
From: BK Lick
Date: 22 Jul 10 - 02:59 AM

I loved his distinctive way of singing Weevily Wheat, introducing an
extra beat at the end of the second line (e.g., ba-ar-ley).

Here's a lovely slide show of his calligraphy which he narrated
about 25 years ago: Raphael Boguslav, calligrapher

—BK

Subject: RE: Obit: Ray Boguslav
From: Padre
Date: 21 Jul 10 - 10:47 PM

I had a copy of his 'Songs from a Village Garrett' which I played until I wore the grooves out. An underrated talent, IMO.

Subject: Obit: Ray Boguslav
From: Thomas Stern
Date: 21 Jul 10 - 09:06 PM

from Fud Benson, via Howard Glasser:

BOGUSLAV- Raphael, died in Rhode Island, July 18, 2010 of injuries from a motor vehicle accident. He was 80. The son of Isaac and Mary Boguslav of New York City he is survived by his former wife, Donna and his partner Mary Ann Kesson. He was a noted graphic designer, responsible for such iconic trademarks as the Logotype for New York Life Insurance Co. As a folksinger he toured with Harry Belafonte and Theodore Bikel, gave a solo concert at Carnegie Hall and released two recordings on vinyl. His superb hand lettering earned him a prominent place in the world of fine art calligraphy. In the 1974 he moved to Newport, Rhode Island where he is mourned by many loving friends.