The Ray Mann Three are an act well worth checking out…
Jamie Lidell @ The Forum, Sydney (09/01/09)
Created On January 14th, 2009 by legal-affairs
It’s a very helpful band name, ‘the Ray Mann Three’ – it reminds you that there are three of them, that one of them is called Ray, and that Mann, they sure are good. Having honed their show in the credible intimacy of Sydney venues like Tonic and Melt, the recent release of an album titled The Ray Mann Three has seen them graduating to bigger rooms and bigger bills. Their set tonight showed just how deserved that graduation is. The Three are Ray Wassef (but who we will call “Ray Mann” for the purposes of this review, otherwise the band’s name is less helpful) on guitar and vocals, Byron Luiters on bass, and Grant Gerathy on drums. The flavour is stripped back soul with strong jazz leanings; Mann has a fine, clear voice that on more than one occasion calls to mind the voice of the evening’s headliner; although his dress sense differs, the Three favour the waistcoats, white shirts and loosely knotted ties look that seems to be de rigeur at the moment amongst those playing music which harks back to a better age. Starting with the album’s last track, Night With You, the Three groove through the album’s tracks, with plenty of space allowed for all players to show their assured, and deftly deployed, improvisational skills – Mann’s guitar work on Shine was a particular highlight as the tempo lifted towards the end of the set. The Ray Mann Three are an act well worth checking out – go see them at Playground Weekender if you don’t get chance to catch them before that.
Read the full review at inthemix