This morning Grammy winner Corinne Bailey Rae will perform on the "Today" show, coinciding with the release of her new album, The Sea. She will appear later this week on "Tavis Smiley" (January 27th), "Ellen" (January 28th) and "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (January 29th). Bailey Rae will be touring extensively in support of The Sea. Her first North American outing since 2007 commences in Vancouver on April 9th and will include a stop at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival. (See below for itinerary.) Prior to the tour's launch, she'll appear on "Late Show with David Letterman" (March 1st) and "Jimmy Kimmel Live" (March 8th).
The PBS program "Live From The Artists Den" recently captured a full concert of Bailey Rae's. The complete episode will premiere this spring, but to celebrate the album's release, four songs from the performance will be featured on the free online video service HULU beginning today.The Sea is the follow-up to her 2006 self-titled debut, whichentered the U.K. album chart at #1 and jumped into the Top 5 of The Billboard 200 after Bailey Rae's performance on the 2007 GRAMMY Awards telecast. "The album is a major creative leap from her debut," said The New York Times of The Sea. "Ms. Rae's voice is deeper...The music is richer, thick with rock, jazz and soul textures." In a four-star review, the Los Angeles Times called it "a remarkable accomplishment," noting "Rae searches for the pinpricks and love sighs that intensify gentle emotions." Entertainment Weekly observed, "The Sea is full of tunes packing an intensity and musical adventurousness that might surprise those who know Bailey Rae only from her breezy breakthrough single "Put Your Records On" while ELLE Magazine said, "Her ability to write and sing gracefully of sorrow and hope turns the record into modern soul music that channels Curtis Mayfield, Van Morrison and Minnie Riperton."
"I'd Do It All Again," the lead single from The Sea,is available at all digital retailers. "Closer" just went to Smooth Jazz radio and will impact Urban AC on February 1st and AC radio in late February. A third album track, "Paris Nights and New York Mornings," will go to Triple A radio on February 22nd.
Backed by many of the musicians who appear on The Sea, Bailey Rae played several showcases in the U.K. and U.S. last year, eliciting stellar reviews. "Rae has undergone a tidal shift towards a raw, less manicured sound," said The Times of one of her recent London performances. "'Are You Here' was a spiralling elegy in which she eschewed lyrical enunciation in favour of elemental anguish... 'I'd Do It All Again' swelled with Jeff Buckley-style vocal flutters, sometimes small and bruised, sometimes huge and searching. And 'Love's On Its Way' was more powerful still as Rae... channelled a burst of turbulent mysticism that evoked Van Morrison circa 'Astral Weeks.'"
With the U.S. release of her first record, Bailey Rae became the first British female singer-songwriter in decades to have her debut album enter The Billboard 200 in the Top 20. By year's end, it was RIAA-certified Platinum. She won a Q award, a MOJO award, an Image award and two MOBO awards and was nominated for three GRAMMY awards - "Record Of The Year" and "Song Of The Year" for her first single, "Put Your Records On," and "Best New Artist." In 2008, "Like A Star," her second single, was nominated for "Song Of The Year" and Herbie Hancock's River: The Joni Letters, on which Corinne sang the title track, won the GRAMMY for "Album Of The Year."
Corinne Bailey Rae - Spring 2010 North American Tour
4/9Vancouver, BCCommodore Ballroom
4/11Portland, ORRoseland Theatre
4/12Seattle, WAMoore Theatre
4/15San Francisco, CARegency Ballroom
4/17Indio, CACoachella Music and Arts Festival
4/22Chicago, ILVic Theatre
4/28Montreal, QCClub Soda
4/30Boston, MAHouse of Blues
5/1Philadelphia, PATheatre of Living Arts
5/3New York, NYWebster Hall
5/11Atlanta, GACenter Stage
5/13Washington, DC9:30 Club
5/14Baltimore, MDRam's Head Live