I first heard Rene Marie at Shanghai Jazz in July of 2001. To be honest, I didn't know her work at the time and went mainly to hear the pianist, Kenny Werner. I left thinking, "wow - this is why you go to hear new people - this woman is really something," which of course, she is. She is also a great story, leaving music for decades as she raised a family, then returning, it is said, because her children insisted that this woman who sang to them at home was as good as anyone they heard on the radio. They were right, she is. She now has a substantial body of work behind her, including a prodigious touring schedule and three highly praised CDs on MAXJAZZ, "How Can I Keep From Singing," MXJ 109, 2000, "Vertigo," MXJ 114, 2001, and "Live at the Jazz Standard," MXJ 116, 2003. MAXJAZZ does an excellent job on vocal music, by the way, publishing work by Laverne Butler, Carla Cook, and Mary Stallings as well.

"Make sure to remember her name: Rene Marie....a jazz singer with the talent, the imagination and the sheer presence to be included in the very top level of performers" Los Angeles Times

To my taste, the last two CDs are the better ones. Moreover, each is distinguished by remarkable performances that take the work beyond the merely good. First of all, she just has a beautiful voice. Her sound is attractive, her phrasing interesting and often unusual without being affected. She seems to be doing things for a reason, not just for the sake of doing something different. I guess that this means that I think her treatments of standards generally work well. I also think that her own writing stands out in an ocean of mediocrity and worse. Frankly, this is an area in which many excellent singers fail. Not she. For example, the three originals on Vertigo, each autobiographical in some way, are very good, and not the unfortunate CD filler material that originals sometimes are. Vertigo also features a stunning "It's All Right with Me." The venerable Cole Porter piece is taken here at a slow, dare we say glacial pace with Chris Potter brilliantly supporting on bass clarinet. She is surrounded on all three CDs by wonderful musicians: Mr. Potter, the emerging Jeremy Pelt on trumpet, drummer Tain Watts, and the great pianist Mulgrew Miller to name just a few. That's a good sign - coworkers of such talent can only help set off the vocal work well - and these cats aren't going to play with just anyone - there is respect involved here.

Rene Marie is clearly a risk taker, as her brave return to the music business, and her willingness to put her personal life into her songs shows. She takes other risks in her work as well. On Vertigo, for example, she combines the songs Dixie and Strange Fruit. What emerges is what must be one of the most powerfully evocative vocal tracks in years. Although she points out correctly that the words to Dixie are innocuous, the connotations of the song are definitely not. For an African-American, especially, to take up this tune, with all its terrible baggage, is remarkable. Equally, or even more remarkable is her pairing of Dixie with Strange Fruit. First of all, you have to be very brave indeed to sing this harrowing song, both because of its content - vivid descriptions of lynchings - and its history - it has a definitive 1939 treatment by no less a singer than Billie Holiday. The song Strange Fruit speaks to the song Dixie, which is obviously part of the point of the pairing. In addition, she manages to carry Strange Fruit off brilliantly, despite the fact that many of her listeners know Billie's version very well. There must be others who have attempted this tune, but I only know of one other person (Cassandra Wilson, no less) intrepid enough to sing Strange Fruit recently, and I don't think she manages it as well as does Rene Marie. This kind of exploration - like any attempt to push the edges of what's commonly done, doesn't always succeed, of course. For example, the pairing of Bolero and Suzanne on "Live at...." doesn't work for me, although everyone else on the planet seems to love it.

On November 14, we are fortunate to catch her on her way back from the Cape May Jazz Festival. She will be accompanied by Takana Miyamoto, the pianist in her current quartet. We hope to see you there for the start of our 2004-2005 season - you'll love it.

Takana Miyamoto

FLASH! Rene Marie's new MAXJAZZ CD, "Serene Renegade" is now out and available.