It was a beautiful Sunday night at Summerstage in Central Park as we looked forward to hearing the smooth sounds of Corinne Bailey Rae, José James and Ruth B. Bailey Rae has been touring the whole summer and New Yorkers were lucky enough to see her for free!
The evening was kicked off by Ruth B who made her start posting videos on Vine and YouTube. After over 415 million streams of her single “Lost Boy”, she’s obviously making her mark on the music scene.
Next up was Jose James who has also been touring this summer. Playing a mix of his own songs and covers, he had the crowd dancing and singing along. As a longtime fan of Welcome Back Kotter, I thought James reminded me of the Juan Epstein character. Apologies if he doesn’t think of it as a compliment. James also brought special guests Kori Withers (daughter of R&B legend Bill Withers), J Hoard, and Taali on stage for a few songs. The rain started coming down as James was finishing his set. This photographer ended up hiding under the bleachers!
The clouds cleared as Corinne Bailey Rae made her way to the stage and the drenched crowd was all smiles as Bailey Rae’s beautiful voice rang through the night. The joy in her face was evident throughout her set. If you’re not familiar with Corinne Bailey Rae, please make sure you take a listen to her music on your favorite streaming service. I guarantee she’ll remain on your playlists.
NOTE: all photographs are copyright of Howard Shiau Photography