The Clarion is a 600 seat concert hall built to accommodate acoustical performances.  The “acoustics” proved to be quite impressive on Saturday evening.  Raye emerged on a darkened stage to begin the evening with one of his top ten singles from 1999 “Anyone Else”.  He continued on with well known hits that included “Little Rock”, “I Can Still Feel You”, and “Little Red Rodeo”. 

Raye is very personable and quickly established a rapport with his audience.  He mentioned that he likes performing in the smaller venues because it is more intimate and he can make eye contact with almost everyone in the audience.  Raye stressed that the large stadium shows are exciting due to the sheer number in the crowds, but the smaller venues made him feel like he was performing with friends in their living rooms.  Throughout the evening he made everyone feel right at home.  

Raye’s voice continues to be as strong and as powerful today as when he first emerged on the country music scene in 1991.  With the release of his latest CD “Never Going Back”, Raye continues to produce quality and versatility in his music.  With only his guitar and piano accompaniment, Raye performed two selections from the CD, “The Only Jesus” and the latest single release “She’s With Me”.  “She’s With Me” is a touching  tribute written by Raye for his granddaughter who has a regressive neurological condition.     

Mid-way through the evening, Raye changed the tempo and the direction of the show with a selection of classics that expanded several decades and genres of music.  Raye began with the timeless Simon and Garfunkel classic “Bridge Over Troubled Water”.  He introduced the song by stating that “it was one of those you are afraid to do because you don’t want to mess it up”.  No worries.  Raye did a beautiful rendition of this classic and was rewarded with applause and cheers from the crowd.  He followed with Kris Kistofferson’s “Sunday Morning Coming Down”.

Raye next faced the challenge of “Rockin’ It Up” with “Do It Again” by Steely Dan with two acoustic guitars and one grand piano.  Rockin’ it up they did with the amazing guitar accompaniment of Chris Raspante and outstanding piano accompaniment of Melanie Shore.  The electronic embellishment and the beat of a drum were never missed.  The crowd was engaged and amazed and erupted with applause of appreciation several times throughout the song.

Raye ended the set of timeless classics with a rendition of Hank Williams Sr’s “Ramblin’ Man” and Elton John’s “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me”. 

Raye then returned to the hits that gave him his multi-platinum status.  He rocked out again with “That’s My Story” which he continues to perform “true” to the style of the original recording and sings it in the original key even though he is “not as young as he use to be”.  Raye explained to the audience that Conway Twitty gave him sage advice at one time “to never change the key of your songs because your audience will appreciate you more”.  Good advice.

Raye concluded the evening with his first number one hit “Love, Me” which the audience sang along to throughout.  He returned for an encore with “In This Life”. 

An acoustic performance for Collin Raye was definitely NOT out of character.   The audience enjoyed an evening of true (not enhanced) music performed by three exceptionally talented artists.  The artists were rewarded with a standing ovation, applause and cheers.    

For contact and tour information, www.collinraye.com.

Click below to listen to “Cryin’ Days”

Danzy’s second single “Love’s Been Rough On Me” debuted on TOSSM in the Top 10.  Danzy recorded and released her debut CD on her own Indie Label JMD Records, LLC.  “Let Me Be Me” is a blend of soulful, swampy, country blues twist of songs, unique to her influences and true to the roots she has earned.

Danzy’s roots grew in the swamps of Louisiana, through the hills of Tennessee and now have been planted in Austin, Texas.  Pamela has blended her soulful roots with a passionate style inspired by artists like Etta James, Delbert McClinton, and Lee Roy Parnell.

After graduating high school, Pamela moved to Shreveport, Louisiana, where she was a regular on the Louisiana Hayride and played at the local honky-tonks all across the State.  Pamela left Shreveport, to pursue a career path on the national roads that took her right to Nashville, Tennessee, the music capitol of the world.

Upon arriving in Nashville, Pamela went to work and showcased for labels such as Capital, Epic and Sony Records for producers Jimmy Bowen, Tom Collins and Val Garay to get the studio schooling she needed and craved.  Pamela spent her time in Nashville soaking in the sounds and traditions of country music’s legends.  Danzy developed her own style of country music.

Danzy’s debut CD is an excellent showcase for her unique sound and versatility.  “Let Me Be Me” has received rave reviews from the press.

“.. Danzy offers confident vocals and a passionate delivery….. but the best song on the album is “Save Me.” This slow melodic gem shows the true caliber of Danzy’s vocal talents.….. “Let Me Be Me” proves that Pamela Danzy is a country artist ready to take on the world.” - Country Chart (Sep 20, 2009)

“She creates chills in songs like “Let Me Be Me”, “Save Me” and “Love’s Been Rough On Me”…..”Cryin’ Days” is uptempo and has a beautiful slide guitar accompaniment….It closes with the touching ‘When the Day is Done”. With “Let Me Be Me”, Pamela has made a beautiful picture.”-  Bootsy Lester, Rootstime (Jun 02, 2008)

Danzy is currently working on completing and recording a new single to be released early 2010.  Danzy is co-writing with top Nashville talent.  The single is scheduled to be recorded in Nashville with release by late March.  Her new single will demonstrate her talent not only as an artist but also as a songwriter.