At the Montreux Jazz Festival, Raye gave a surprise performance where she covered songs from iconic artists Billie Holiday and Nina Simone. The intimate show was part of the festival’s ‘jam sessions’, which took place on the Memphis stage where Raye gave an intimate performance. She covered Holiday’s ‘All of Me’ and Simone’s ‘Feeling Good’ to an audience of merely a few hundred people. Her performance followed her performance on the festival’s Lake Stage, where she performed alongside Janelle Monáe.
Prior to her performance of ‘Feeling Good’, Raye jokingly confessed to the audience about stealing a photo of Nina Simone from the Jazz festival. She said, “I hope that’s okay, I need something to remember this day by. I’ll put it here, I love her so much”. This was the second time Raye had covered ‘Feeling Good’ this year after sharing a stripped-back version for Triple J’s Like A Version series in February. After the release of the cover, the series shared a separate video of Raye explaining her love for the song and why she chose to put her own spin on it out of respect for Simone.
Raye paid homage to Simone earlier this month when showcasing her new single, ‘Genesis,’ at a pop-up exhibition in New York City. The song is a seven-minute piece that Raye has crafted and scrutinized over the last year and a half, experimenting with different genres and sonic expressions. Raye has repeatedly spoken out for songwriter rights and recently won the Ivor Novello award for Songwriter of the Year. Her BRITs 2024 wins included Album of the Year (‘My 21st Century Blues’). Raye is rumored to be headlining Glastonbury next year. This summer, she is set to perform on the main stage at the Reading & Leeds 2024 festival.
Raye’s passionate performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival showcased her musical talents and ability to connect to her audience. Her homage to legends Holiday and Simone adds to her already impressive back catalog of covers. Raye’s dedication to championing songwriter rights also adds to her dedication as an artist and only adds more excitement to her ongoing musical journey
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