Shearing Archive

Maya Rae, vocals – Sapphire Birds – CellarLive

by Audiophile Audition | Mar 10, 2017 | Jazz CD Reviews

Maya Rae – Sapphire Birds – CellarLive CL101818, 37:29 ***: A mature voice that shows promise. (Maya Rae – lead & background vocals; Miles Black – piano; André Lachance – acoustic bass; Joel Fountain – drums; Cory Weeds – tenor saxophone on 1/2/6/8/9; Vince Mai – trumpet 1/2/6/7/8/9) Precocious may be defined as “exhibiting mature qualities at an unusual early age”. This definition may indeed apply to singer Maya Rae, who at fourteen has a mature quality to her singing which she exhibits on her first CD release entitled Sapphire Birds.  Backed by a sympathetic band, Rae has structured a set list that, for the most part, allows her to emphasize her strengths and minimizes her weakness. Opening with Meghan Trainor’s “Close Your Eyes”, the listener is immediately surprised by the depth and strength of Rae’s voice which certainly belies her age. Maya delivers a heartfelt rendition of this evocative number. Staying in the same vein, Rae delves into Linda Perry’s “Beautiful” and shows the colour she can bring from her voice. George Shearing’s “Lullaby Of Birdland” may not have been the best choice to delve into the jazz repertoire as it exposes Rae’s youth and vocal inexperience. Scat singing […]