Billy Joel put plenty of soul into his 1993 hit "The River of Dreams," but Sammy Rae found a new way to bring the soul out — and did so with just a ukulele and her voice.
In this episode of ReImagined At Home, Rae — the frontwoman of eight-piece group Sammy Rae & The Friends — takes center stage with her uke to deliver a scat-filled cover of Joel's GRAMMY-nominated single. She puts her own spin on the track with undulating vocals, showing off her range as well her jazz sensibilities.
Before the third verse, Rae demonstrates her scatting skills, giving "The River of Dreams" a playful new addition. She's clearly having fun breathing new life into the '90s classic, her head bopping along as her voice bounces and her hands pluck the ukulele.
Rae recorded her Billy Joel cover while on the road with her band, who kicked off their If It All Goes South Tour in Austin on Oct. 1. Though they'll be on the road until Nov. 17, Rae declared in a heartfelt Instagram post that "This is already the tour [of] a lifetime."
See if Sammy Rae & The Friends' are stopping by your city here. In the meantime, watch Rae's reimagination of Billy Joel's "The River of Dreams," and keep checking GRAMMY.com for more episodes of ReImagined At Home.