Award winning British singer-songwriter, Corinne Bailey Rae, wowed a sold-out April 1st crowd at the Anaheim House of Blues. Her neo-soul, contemporary jazz vocals won the hearts of many listeners since her debut over two decades ago. Black Rainbows, her most recent album released in 2023, brought her back stateside in 2024. Luckily, for those who missed her incredible performance last year, her current North American stops run through to May 29th. Performing to a sold-out crowd on April 1st, attendees drove from near and far to be the first to see the GRAMMY winner.
Prior to Rae’s set, Haley Reinhart—the sensational singer behind Postmodern Jukebox cover of Radiohead’s “Creep”—sang a soulful collection of her best hits. “How you doing Anaheim? It’s been a whole year since we’ve been in California,” smiled the Wheeling songstress. Starting with a cover of Rae’s own jazzy track, “Been to the Moon,” Reinhart’s opening act was welcomed with a warm applause. Donning a lovely ruffle dress and adorning her mic stand with butterflies, Reinhart channeled the warmth of incoming spring through her voice and her visuals.
Demonstrating her vocal range of growls and bluesy vibrato, the American Idol alumna also knew how to command a crowd. “For all the lovebirds, we need to have a serious talk. They don’t listen to this song, and you can tell by the title of the song, and they’ll get the hint. It’s called… Honey, There’s the Door.” Encouraged by the soft laughs, Reinhart continued to drape the audience with a wave of gentle vocals and bedroom jazz tracks. That wasn’t all she had up her sleeve; the songwriter had to give the crowd her beloved viral cover of Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” which went Double Platinum in 2023. Bringing back the energy up with “Crack the Code,” a rock song that showed off all her vocal talent from growls to soft whispers, Reinhart would continue that sprit with her 2024 power ballad, “Danger” and end on her thunderous jazz rendition of “Creep.”
After a quick intermission, Corinne Bailey Rae took her spot in the limelight and thanked the crowd for attending her concert. “We’re going to play you some old songs, some newer songs, and some famous songs of mine.” Beginning with “Moon,” a funk-jazz song with the emblematic soulful vocal energy Rae is known for, the soloist laid the groundwork for the crowd’s upbeat mood for the rest of the night. Alongside her were Mikey Wilson (drums), Kyle Bolden (electric guitar), Alita Moses (vocals), and Steve Brown (piano, bass, and vocals). Together, they would riff off each other’s limitless energy, like a group of longtime friends playing a jam session in someone’s garage.
Whether it be complimenting Rae’s incredible vocals or the chords on her electric guitar, the five musicians blended different live renditions of her hits. From “Closer” to a cover of Bob Marley’s “Is This Love,” their collective vigor was infectious. It’s a shame that the show was mostly seated as plenty of people were itching to stand. Understandably on a late April Fool’s night, a seated show would be more comfortable than a standing-only concert. Of course, the English singer had jokes for the crowd. “London is 8 hours ahead. I just woke up,” she jested while she began dancing. “But then I get out here…and I’m pumped! Thank you for being here.”
A highlight of the night was “’Till it Happens to You.” Surrounded by warm pink lighting, the soul singer picked up her guitar and engaged in a slow jam session with Bolden. The extended chords went on for four rocking minutes until it hit a fever pitch with the wail of his electric guitar. Once she returned to her position at the center of the stage, she demonstrated the range of her breath control as she brought the song to a spirted end.
Taking a step back to reflect on her 2010 single, “Paris Nights and New York Mornings,” Rae gave a glimpse into her childhood memories. “I wrote this song when I was on an airplane, and I didn’t travel much as a kid. I remember being on a plane being above the clouds and seeing what the world would look like and the people down below.” In the same vein as this contemporary indie-rock song, Rae would switch up the mood with “New York Transit Queen,” a headbanging punk rock anthem inspired by Audrey Smaltz.
“I went to Stony Island Arts Bank and inside there was a copy of every EBONY magazine that ever existed. One time I reached for a 1954 magazine and there was a picture of a beauty queen, and she was hanging off the back of a fire truck. There was something about the way she looked back that made me wonder, ‘Who is this hellraiser?’ In the 60s she got married to a woman and she ended up meeting a former basketball player. I wrote this song based on that picture.”
Winding down the energy with a slower love song celebrating the spring, “Green Aphrodisiac,” the singer would tap her shakers and twirl a wind chime to reset air. After spending nearly three minutes vocalizing “na nan as” back and forth with the crowd, she cheekily asked the crowd how they think the song will end. “I suppose you’re wondering how we’re going to finish this song,” she laughed. “I think we should go for a good old fashion fade out.” To encourage more crowd participation, Rae would bend down low to the ground alongside her backup vocalist to bring the song to a close.
Undoubtedly, the night wouldn’t be complete with her beloved tracks, “Put Your Records On” and “Like a Star.” How time flies as the two GRAMMY nominated songs are now nineteen years and twenty years old respectively. As a special surprise to the first night audience in her 2025 tour, the vocalist announced she will return in 2026 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of her self-titled album “Corinne Bailey Rae.” “Next year is the anniversary of my first record. We’re going to come back and we’re going to play the whole record. I’d love to see you at those shows,” said Rae at the end of her set at the intimate venue.
