Raya Yarbrough

Raya Yarbrough

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

Quick Links:

More reviews tagged #Jazz

  • reviewed 04/2008

    Stanton Moore Trio
    Emphasis (on Parenthesis)

  • reviewed 02/2014

    NICHOLAS PAYTON
    Sketches of Spain

  • reviewed 02/2017

    Azar Lawrence & Al Mclean
    Frontiers

  • reviewed 06/2010

    ALICIA MENNINGA
    Renewal

  • reviewed 10/2012

    PONCHO SANCHEZ AND HIS LATIN JAZZ BAND
    LIVE IN HOLLYWOOD

  • reviewed 04/2010

    SPEAK
    Speak

Compiled by the WYCE Journalism Club

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.