Ghosts of the Blues made history in 2001 with being only the second acoustic blues album (competing with electric blues bands) to win the Washington Area Music Award (WAMMIE) for Blues Recording of Year since the organization was founded in 1985, with the other award going to the W.C. Handy winning duo of Cephas and Wiggins. Said the Washington Post's William Triplett, "Ray Kaminsky, who studied Piedmont style under John Cephas, is also among the finer Delta-style acoustic players." Ghosts sparkles with Piedmont fingerstyle blues that faithfully reflects the playing of blues icons like the Reverend Gary Davis, Mance Lipscomb and Willie Brown. Pink Anderson's "In The Jailhouse Now" is given a unique New Orleans feel with judicious Dixieland backup that mentally transports one right to Jackson Square in the French Quarter. Delta slide style is well represented with the true to form raucous opening number "Write Me a Few More Lines" from Mississippi Fred McDowell to a silky smooth rendition of Roy Book Binder's "Palm Trees Shaking in the Night". Supporting cast musicians on this recording are truly tasteful and modestly introduced so the original guitar parts shine through. Harmonica, bass, violin, and washboard percussion give this album the old time feel that became so well known with the recordings of Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. The closing Gospel number "Amazing Grace", includes a historical spoken word description of the birth of the song in the travails of sea captain John Newton, beginning with just steel slide guitar and vocal and building steadily to Gospel choral finish that will leave one moved and wishing the next recording for this artist comes soon. Said John Jackson, Ray's mentor and National Heritage Fellow, "He sounds real good!" And we agree.