"Forever Ray" Honoring The Music Of Ray Charles featuring Kenny Brawner as the voice of Ray and Former Ray Charles Raelette Angela Workman
Blue Note131 West 3rd Street, New York 10012
Forever Ray brings a Ray Charles tribute to Blue Note, billed as “Honoring The Music Of Ray Charles.” Kenny Brawner takes the voice-of-Ray role, with former Ray Charles Raelette Angela Workman featured alongside him. The presentation is framed around Charles’s songbook and legacy, with the billing placing the focus on a dedicated salute rather than a standard set under Brawner’s own name. It is a vocal-led program built around the music associated with Charles and the Raelette tradition.
Forever Ray is identified through its tribute format and the artists named on the bill. Brawner is specifically billed as the voice of Ray, while Workman’s connection to the Ray Charles Raelettes gives the night a direct link to the vocal group associated with Charles. No further biographical details, personnel, repertoire, recordings, or critical commentary are provided for this engagement. What is clear is the pairing at the heart of the show: a performer cast in the central vocal role and a former Raelette appearing as part of the tribute.
Blue Note Jazz Club is a dedicated listening room in the heart of Manhattan's jazz district, where the music is the focus and the space is designed to let the sound fill the room. The club features a stage with a small audience area, and the atmosphere is one of quiet concentration on the music. Shows typically begin at 8:00 PM with a second set at 10:30 PM, and the audience sits on chairs close to the stage. The club has a bar, and drinks are available. The experience is primarily about listening to live jazz, with occasional gospel and soul performances, and the audience often stays to talk and enjoy the music after the sets.