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Home - Live Performance - Corinne Bailey Rae: The Black Rainbows Tour (2024) – Review

Corinne Bailey Rae: The Black Rainbows Tour (2024) – Review

8 years since her last record, and 18 from her first, the evolution of Corinne Bailey Rae from a songbird to a genre defying singer was on full display.

ByAmari Allah Hours Posted onFebruary 19, 2024 12:30 PMMay 30, 2024 1:41 PM Hours Updated onMay 30, 2024 1:41 PM
Corinne Bailey Rae in her full entrance outfit

Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.


Additionally, some images and text may include affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission or receive products if you make a purchase.


  • Summary
  • Review
    • Highlights
      • When Rae Closes Her Eyes And Clearly Is Transported
      • How She Modernized Her To Final Songs
      • Her Walking You Through The Inspiration
  • Background Information

Summary

Covering the making of her latest album, “Black Rainbows,” and the inspiration for each track, Corinne Bailey Rae walks and sings us through how learning about Black history in Chicago’s Stony Island Arts Bank was an inspiring and transformative experience.

Other Noteworthy Information

Picture of Corinne Bailey Rae setlist for - Black Rainbows Tour at Blue Note
Picture of Corinne Bailey Rae setlist for – Black Rainbows Tour at Blue Note
  1. Alongside playing songs from her latest album, “Black Rainbows,” she sang “Put Your Records On” and “Just Like a Star.”
  2. I wouldn’t recommend going to the Blue Note, for it is very uncomfortable to sit in the venue, and at times, the sound of the mic was drowned out by the instruments. It’s very much a club focused on packing in as many people as possible and hearing any instrument clearly besides vocals.
  3. Set List:
    1. A Spell, A Prayer
    2. Erasure
    3. He Will Follow You With His Eyes
    4. New York Transit Queen
    5. Red Horse
    6. Before The Throne of the Invisible God
    7. Peach Velvet Sky
    8. Put It Down
    9. Earthlings
    10. Put Your Records On
    11. Just Like A Star

Review

Good If You Like

  • Jazz, funk, r and b and rock
  • Longer than expected stories that feel like she is thoroughly answering an interview question about what inspired a certain track

Highlights

When Rae Closes Her Eyes And Clearly Is Transported

Corinne Bailey Rae singing on stage alone
Corinne Bailey Rae singing on stage alone

You can tell when Rae is really into a song because she seems to close her eyes and get carried away. She may open them to make sure her finger placement is right on the guitar, but what some could maybe see as anxiety or being overwhelmed looks like the purest version of nostalgia as she is taken back to the place that led to the writing of the record.

But, as can be seen when she sings “Put Your Records On,” some songs she may appreciate in terms of where they have taken her, but they may not give her the same soul-stirring they may have.

How She Modernized Her To Final Songs

Speaking of “Put Your Records On” and “Just Like A Star,” Rae is unquestionably the type of musician who sounds better live than on the record – which is saying something. For on the record, there is a polish there, a seeking for the perfect track, but live, she goes for feeling, what groove feels appropriate for the moment.

One prime example is how she elongates certain parts of the song, takes you out of the familiar line you may have sung and moved on from since its release in 2006 (!), and makes you think and dwell on a particular line. It brings a sense that the lyrics evolve in meaning over time, especially with “Just Like A Star,” and pushes you to recognize how timeless those records are.

Her Walking You Through The Inspiration

A lot of musicians, if not artists of various media, like the idea of not hand-holding their audience regarding the meaning and background of their work. The idea is that if someone makes their own connections and meanings, that enhances the work and allows for natural longevity.

However, with Rae, she breaks down nearly every track in a way that makes it feel like you are watching an interview with performances sliced in. For as she talks about a perfume brand with the most intriguing, if not sometimes risqué of titles; songs inspired by a slave girl who hid away in her grandmother’s house for years before escaping; a woman who became the New York Transit Queen because the Subway Queen competition was Whites only; and more, it enhances each song since now it has its own meaning. It’s not just about a hook, a handful of potentially catchy lyrics, but a memory locked into a song, giving life to a figure who may not be forgotten but whose story formerly could only be discovered from stumbling upon it.

Yet now, thanks to Corinne Bailey Rae, their story has the chance to spread worldwide.

Background Information

Corinne Bailey Rae and her saxophonist jamming
Corinne Bailey Rae and her saxophonist jamming

Director(s)

N/A

Writer(s)

N/A

Language

English

Attendance Type

In Person

Event Status

On Schedule

Venue or Network (Blue Note New York)

131 W 3rd St, New York, NY 10012

Performance Date

February 18, 2024

First Performance At This Venue

February 15, 2024

Opening Night Performance

February 15, 2024

Last Performance At This Venue

February 18, 2024

Venue URL

https://www.bluenotejazz.com/nyc/

Tickets Starting At

$55.00

Genre(s)

Solo Show, Concert

Duration

1 Hour 56 Minutes

Content Information

  • Dialog: Nothing Notable
  • Violence: N/A
  • Sexual Content: N/A
  • Miscellaneous: N/A

Similar To This

If you like this, we recommend:

  1. Erykah Badu
  2. Jill Scott
  3. Love To Love You, Donna Summer

Check out our Live Performance page for our latest reviews and recommendations.


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Corinne Bailey Rae: The Black Rainbows Tour (2024) – Review

Summary

Our Rating: Positive (See Live) – Recommended While known for lofty, if not melancholy R&B, Corinne Bailey Rae at the Blue Note through delivering us House music, Funk, and even Rock shows she has come a long way from telling people to put their records on.

Overall
85%
85%
  • When Rae Closes Her Eyes And Clearly Is Transported - 87%
    87%
  • How She Modernized Her To Final Songs - 83%
    83%
  • Her Walking You Through The Inspiration - 84%
    84%
Sending
User Review
0 (0 votes)

Pros

  • Her Walking You Through The Inspiration
  • How She Modernized Her To Final Songs
  • When Rae Closes Her Eyes And Clearly Is Transported

Cons


Listed Under Categories: Live Performance, Positive (See Live), Recommended (Performances)

Related Tags: Blue Note New York, Corinne Bailey Rae, The Blue Note

Amari Allah

Amari is the founder and head writer of Wherever-I-Look.com and has been writing reviews since 2010, with a focus on dramas and comedies.

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