New York, NY (Top40 Charts) AlternaJazz (Sparks & Shadows) today announced the upcoming release of a new album from singer-songwriter and multi-faceted artist Raya Yarbrough, "North of Sunset, West of Vine." The twelve song record will be available on CD through Amazon, and from all major digital retailers Friday, Oct. 5, 2018.
Two years in the making, "North of Sunset, West of Vine" features ten new songs written and performed by Yarbrough, as well as her arrangements of two beloved cover songs. The songs on the album are inspired by the singer's memories of performing in jazz clubs throughout Hollywood, initially with her father, beginning at the age of seven. With soulful and layered vocals, strings, and multi-textural soundscapes, this album is her stories brought to life.
"I didn't go back to Hollywood for a decade," said Yarbrough, "but when I finally found myself at a party on a rooftop across from the El Capitan, memories came back like raw diamonds. Ugly and precious. Old pain flipped into devotion, and the chords came with the words. It's exciting to have these stories collected now, to live them from the other side."
Yarbrough made her international debut on Telarc (Concord) in 2008 with her self-titled album, "Raya Yarbrough", produced by Oingo Boingo alum Steve Bartek. She released a total of three previous independent albums, and band members have included members of Kneebody, Zappa Plays Zappa, and Kamasi Washington's band. Yarbrough has performed and collaborated with pianist Billy Childs and continues to work on multiple projects with composer and songwriter Van Dyke Parks. She also frequently sings with Grammy-winning rock band, Portugal. The Man.
Some of Yarbrough's notable live performances include opening for Terence Blanchard at The Jazz Standard in New York City as well as a special performance at the Hollywood Bowl as part of the Playboy Jazz Festival. She is also known globally as the singer in the opening credits of the television series "Outlander," and as the female singing voice on the sci-fi hit 'Battlestar Galactica.'
Yarbrough's "North of Sunset, West of Vine" features drummer Tony Austin, from Kamasi Washington's groundbreaking album "The Epic", jazz pianist, John Beasley, and Steve Bartek of Oingo Boingo, on guitar.
