Search - Rene Marie :: Serene Renegade

SeRENE RENEgade

Kenneth Hugh Burton | ATLANTA, GA United States | 11/04/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This, the fifth CD by Rene' (Renaissance under the name Rene' Croan) and four on the MazzJazz label, is not a quick listen. Serene Renegade is a CD to be studied. As I was writing this review, I notice again the title of this CD and saw her name repeated. And so it is that if one goes by first glance, first listen of SeRENE RENEgade only, they will miss out on a well thought out album, full of emotions, deeply personal, and thoughtful.





Since her debut, fans of Rene' Marie have long wished for an album that showcased her writing talents more prominently. All the songs on Serene Renegade were written and arranged by Rene' with the exception of two songs Hard Day's Night (Lennon & McCartney) and Lover Man Oh Where Can You Be (Davis, Ramirez, & Sherman) which Rene' "covers". Maybe "cover" is not the most appropriate word to use when an artist takes a song such as Hard Day's Night, unRocks it, blues it, swings it, and makes it her own. "Lover Man" is given new life by Rene' who is accompanied by Takana Miyamoto piano, Herman Burney bass and Quentin Baxter drums. On this "cover" Rene plays again with the tempo of the song, interjecting unexpected skips which seem to convey the notion of love's uncertainty. Additional album personnel are Jeremy Pelt trumpet and Roland Guerrero percussion

"

Kind of like a ground-rule double...

Kevin M. Lowe | 11/02/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"So close to being knocked out of the park...



Rene Marie's last disc, "Live at Jazz Standard," was a revelation: intriguing arrangements of songs familiar and un-, two tantalizing original compositions, and a tight and flexible working band. I've greatly anticipated Marie's followup, and she delivers a deeper look into her own songwriting and her own life. Marie wrote nine of the 11 songs here, displaying her impressive capabilities as a songwriter. She is able to incorporate her own distinctive style and perspective into the traditional "jazz-singer" idiom - for those of you tired of the same old same old from modern singers, and aren't into the nouveau "jazz" of a lot of the youngsters, then Rene Marie is for you.

Having returned to the music world after a long hiatus of raising a family, Marie has delivered four exciting discs for MaxJazz, proving that she is leading the way for jazz singers today. On "Serene Renegade," she sings of her experiences as a family woman - most of the songs are autobiographical, or else about other members of her family. While a few of the songs are a bit too theatrical ("Ode to a Flower" and "Rufast Daliarg"), Marie's way of incorporating elements of gospel and R&B (without watering anything down) is especially impressive on tracks like "The South is Mine" (reminiscent of Nina Simone) and "Wishes". Her ballad voice will rend your heart. She gets a little too cutesy with her voice on the sprightly waltz "Little Girl," but she is clearly having fun with this side of her personality (and listen for the well-placed "Alice in Wonderland" quote).

The band on "Serene Renegade" is excellent, though I miss the "Live at Jazz Standard" group at times (that band seems to have been the best fit for Marie thus far). Takana Miyamoto (p) is a good match for Marie's voice, especially on the slower tunes, though she isn't as dynamic as John Toomey. Herman Burney and Quentin Baxter are a solid and sensitive, if unexceptional, rhythm section. Roland Guerrero adds judicious percussion to two tracks as well. No one is given all that much space to solo, though, as the focus is clearly on Marie the whole way. Burney pulls off a nice little arco solo on "Hard Day's Night," though I would have liked to have heard him for more than twelve bars! Jeremy Pelt stops by on trumpet for a beautiful guest spot on "Pause," and he would have made a nice addition to a few more tracks. Marie's voice is such an instrument itself that it would be nice to hear her paired with a horn.

All in all, Rene Marie's fourth album for MaxJazz is definitely worth picking up, as is her entire catalogue. The minor quibbles I have with this album don't detract from the beauty and value of the music. Marie is consistently interesting and even surprising, which is great to hear from a singer. Check her out!"

Commendably bold and Different

MusicFreak | FL | 12/17/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Rene Marie, since I've known her music, has been different from the norm. In this new CD, she has really moved boldly away from the expectations of today's jazz vocalists. Look around, and you'll see jazz vocal albums full of well-worn standards, with maybe one or at the most two original compositions thrown in - it is expected (ignorantly and selfishly so) by the public to be that way. But, Rene goes against the grain and dares to deliver an album where, of 11 songs, 9 are hers. The fact that she is an artist relatively unknown, with just 5 albums overall, makes it all the more amazing. Even though her compositional abilities are quite adequate, it was still a bit hard to get into the music at first. Upon first listen, some of her songs seem to meander, and seem to go on a bit longer than necessary. After a few listens, though, you begin to really grasp it, and the music gets to you. Like another reviewer said, though, even though the musicians here are by no means incompetent, the band she had on her live album sounds much tighter and powerful than this one. To sum up, if you are open to the notion of a jazz "singer-songwriter" of sorts (a very rare ocurrence, indeed), then, the brave Rene Marie should be an artist to consider. To the already initiated Marie fan, beware: this album might be harder to get into than her previous ones, but you shouldn't fear - she is still as passionate and intense as she's ever been. I applaud her for being her own self at all costs, for refusing to fit into the nice little boxes jazz singers are expected to. Even though this might not be my favorite Marie album, she continues to be at the top of my list, because artists who show no fear, who dare to change, who sound like they are hungry to explore will always get my respect. Sadly, not many people appreciate these qualities nowadays - they prefer the tried-and-true, the cliches. But, fans of Rene Marie by definition go deeper than that. If you are one of those, dig in - you will not be dissappointed."