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 SaurMelton Mustafa
The Traveling Man
VARIOUS ARTISTS
Smooth Chill
KAHIL EL’ZABAR’S INFINITY ORCHESTRA
Transmigration
WILL BERNARD
Party Hats
DAVINA AND THE VAGABONDS
BLACK CLOUD
Bob James & Nathan East
The New Cool
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