2008-04-14
Sultry, seductive, bluesy, jazzy & beautiful are just a few of the adjectives to describe the voice of Raya Yarbrough. Raya started singing jazz at the age of seven and it’s easy to see how the classic artists like Nina Simone, Clifford Brown & others have shaped her musical style. It is also easy to see that Raya doesn’t want to be pigeonholed into being just another Jazz singer as she opens with the bluesy “Lord Knows I Would” & then shifts gears into the Reggae flavored “You’re So Bad For Me”. Several tracks have a certain Pop feel to them & the ending up-tempo “Better Days” Raya has a vocal scat that makes this listener believe she has many better days ahead. - Gregg Saur
JAMES BOOKER
CLASSIFIED REMIXED AND EXPANDED
FO/MO/DEEP
Eclecticism
EVA CASSIDY
– Somewhere
WYNTON MARSALIS
From The Plantation To The Penitentiary
MELODY GARDOT
Worrisome Heart
THE DEAD KENNY G'S
Bewildered Herd
The opinions expressed in these reviews are those of the individual volunteers that submitted the article and do not necessarily reflect the views of WYCE or GRCMC; nor its staff, donors, or affiliates.