By Michael Ybarra Music Journalist Yebba, otherwise known as Abigail Smith, careened into her music career on a Sofar stage. It was a small performance, just her and her guitarist playing a steady riff, but the audience was starstruck. Yebba’s unique agility, breathy vocal quality and intensely vulnerable lyricism left the room hooting and hollering. Even after five minutes, Yebba had them in the palm of her hand. […]
By Michael Ybarra Music Journalist The recording academy made some interesting decisions on the biggest night for music, but they may have gotten something right which has bigger implications than anyone has realized. 64 years after the first black woman won Best Individual Jazz Performance and Best Female Vocal Performance at the first ever Grammy Awards, Samara Joy took home the title of Best New Artist. She shattered the […]
By Michael Ybarra Music Journalist One of an artist’s only jobs, that the public knows about anyway, is to crank out fresh hits for their adoring fans. But the pressure to maintain familiarity while attempting to satisfy the urge to experiment with one’s sound has never been higher. Many artists have shown this battle between their past sound and their vision for the future of their music plays a […]
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