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 SaurCURT RAMM, DAN MORETTI, BILL CUNLIFFE
Foundations
Billy Childs
Rebirth
Charlie Watts and the Tentet
Watts at Scott's
BEASTIE BOYS
The Mix-Up
Andre Cavor
Road Trip
VARIOUS
Rumble In the Great Lakes (Best of the Detroit Jazz Fest 2007)
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