Ray Greene, Stay Review

Ray Greene is a vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and producer from Columbia, South Carolina. He received a degree in Music Performance from the world-renowned Berklee College of Music. Greene has performed and recorded with Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole, the Isley Brothers, and Rick James. In addition, Greene served as lead singer/trombonist for the legendary Soul band Tower of Power for two years. He is also a member of the band for Carlos Santana, where he travels extensively, and with Santana’s music, he has showcased his abilities as a vocalist, trombonist, and percussionist.

Greene has signed a licensing and recording deal with Ubuntu Records in the UK and is releasing his Soul/R&B album Stay. The album is based on the energy and sounds of Sam Cooke and Otis Redding. Greene wrote the songs on Stay over the course of several years, which deals with the emotions of the joys and pains of being in adult relationships.

“Shoulda Known Better” opens with a classic R&B groove and Greene’s soulful crooning. The backing vocals add to the song’s color and the fullness of key parts of the melody. The real instruments are well-recorded, and the strings and horns add much textural variety. Greene moves to his upper register during a stirring call and response during the repeating chorus. His singing is emotional and very pleasing to hear.

The title track, “Stay,” brings in a more contemporary R&B sound and instrumentation. Even though the drums are not as soulful as other tracks on the album, Greene’s singing saves the day. The strings and guitar add texture, with backing vocals filling much of the background space. The breakdown allows the song to build again and ends with a soulful saxophone solo and horn parts.

Stay shows is a vocalist of many moods, colors, and ranges, but the defining theme is that he always sings with passion and soul. R&B music fans with undoubtedly find multiple tracks to add to their playlist here as Greene begins his rise to stardom with Stay.