With a delicate balance of hope, heartche and humor, British singer-songwriter Corinne Bailey soared through a soulful performance Monday night (April 12) at the Moore Theatre.
Bailey’s current album, “The Sea,” explores the complex range of emotions that followed the death of her husband, saxophonist Jason Rae, two years ago of an accidental drug and alcohol overdose.
The tragedy followed the worldwide success of her 2006 debut album, which earned three Grammy nominations and sold more than 2 million copies. Heartbroken, Rae’s songwriting turned to personal catharsis and a painful exploration of subjects quite different from the airy, soulful pop that had brought her a global following.
Fans were clearly happy to see her back on stage in Seattle. They cheered, shouted requests and even tried to start little conversations with the diminutive star. Rae was cheerful, gracious and good-humored as she share the songs and emotions of her extraordinary album.
Backed by a five-member band, she sang favorite cover songs as well, offering a lovely version of Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing” and a R&B-flavored take on “Que Sera Sera,” the Doris Day classic that was also recorded by Sly and the Family Stone.
The concert mixed such hits as “Like a Star” and “Put Your Records On” with new songs “I’d Do It All Again” and “Feels Like the First Time.”
Rae — the daughter of a West Indian father and English mother — opened her concert with “Are You Here,” a moving song that drips with heartache (she finished the song a cappella). Her second song, “Paris Nights/New York Mornings,” was upbeat and breezy and more like the airy hits of her first album. She sang them both with the light, soulful voice that made fans smile and cheer.
“The Blackest Lily,” another new song, confronted death with life-affirming courage. She dedicated “Seasons Change” to “struggling artists and struggling people.”
For her final song, “The Sea,” Rae delicately played autoharp as she sang the words, “Goodbye, goodbye, paradise.”
Rae’s single-song encore featured “Que Sera Sera.” It provided the perfect finish to her show and clearly summarized her anguish over and gradual acceptance of her husband’s death. The crowd seemed touched by the famous lyric, “Whatever will be, will be.”
The concert was the first in the 2010 “(RED)NIGHTS” performance series to raise money for the fight against AIDS in Africa. Among the artists who participated last year in the Live Nation series were Fall Out Boy, Katy Perry, Built to Spill, Brandi Carlile and many others. For more information, visit the Web site here.
Opening the concert were soulful Australian-born singer-songwriter Daniel Merriweather, who sang Paul McCartney’s “Baby I’m Amazed,” and a cappella group Undertones.
For more about Rae, visit her Web site here.