Obviously, I didn’t “find” Corinne Bailey Rae. “Put Your Records On” was an especially big hit for her…
Girl, put your records on, tell me your favorite song
You go ahead, let your hair down
Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams,
Just go ahead, let your hair down.
Rather, I had a preview of her upcoming second album “The Sea” on Monday night when she performed at the Hiro Ballroom in NYC. The new album is set for a January 26, 2010 release date on EMI’s Capitol Records. If the reaction from the crowd was any indication, she will have another hit on her hand.
I am not a hardcore music fan, so I am always intrigued when I go to concerts in smaller venues. The crowd is really passionate about whoever is performing. For instance, one couple had traveled all the way from Phoenix in order to see Corinne perform. That is dedication. Also, the show was sold out so quickly that some people paid up to $300 for the $20 tickets! (Several people were having a conversation about the topic while I was waiting for my friend to arrive.)
Corinne did an amazing job. Along with being a really great singer, she also plays a mean guitar. She performed a mix of songs from her first album and the upcoming one. Since her old performances are all over the web, I uploaded two new favorites. She sang a cover of Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Little Wing’ for the first time “in the States” that you can find here.
There is nothing like seeing a singer performing live. Corinne was very present and sang with deep emotion. It didn’t help that my friend mentioned during the concert that Corinne’s husband had died last year. That knowledge added an extra depth to some of the lyrics from her upcoming album. There was such a rawness and vulnerability. I just wanted to reach out and give her a big hug as I listened to a line from the title song of “The Sea”. It said, “(the sea) brings everything, crushes everything,… takes everything from me…”
If you can disregard the image (I shot in low resolution, because I primarily cared about the music), you can hear it for yourself below:
