One of the most pleasing things about having a blog, and there are many, is that people find me who wouldn’t otherwise know my “contact information.” I met the singer Kristina Ray in 2015 — perhaps in Mezzrow, or at Michael Kanan’s Willoughby Street studio — and she impressed me as a cheerful warm person. But at that time I’d not heard her sing.
That lack has been remedied, and I wanted to let you hear her also. Her approach isn’t abstruse or complex; rather, she gives melody and words a friendly embrace, and swings them over to us:
and an even older standard made real through sincerity:
Kristina hails from Slovenia and her current home base is Paris, but she has spent time in New York, studying with Barry Harris and singing with Steve Ash and other notables. A more extensive biography is here.
She has plans for the future — as well as New York gigs — and such things are expensive, so I am spreading the word:
The world never has a surfeit of light-hearted melody, so I encourage you to help Kristina on her swinging path.
May your happiness increase!
JAZZ LIVES 