[6] In her early teens, Rey frequented a local music shop called "Folk Arts Rare Records" owned by Lou Curtiss, mentor to Tom Waits.
[5] Rey gravitated toward 1900 to 1920s ragtime and 1920 to 1950s blues when, she said, music had "more regional accents" and was not so "commodified and mass-marketed.
"[4] A huge fan of Memphis Minnie, Rey described her as someone who did not fit into a stereotypical cultural myth.
"[8][3] Rey attended college in Santa Cruz, but dropped out to pursue her career in music.
She played the National until meeting Ron Phillips, a luthier, who custom made her a resonator guitar.
By 1993, Rey had her own label, Hobemian Records, and released Boogie Mysterioso, followed by Hot Sauce in 1995.
[7][2] Her music was a blend of country blues, stride piano, classic jazz, hillbilly boogie and Tin Pan Alley.
[11] Rey developed a lecture series called Women in American Music, featuring female musicians such as Memphis Minnie, Lovie Austin, Rose Maddox, and Mary Osborne.
The exhibit includes historical photos and archival film footage from the early 20th century of influential women pioneers in the early jazz, country, and blues movements such as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Memphis Minnie, Maybelle Carter, Lydia Mendoza and others.