René Marie is back in town
Acouple of years ago, vocalist René Marie, a longtime Denver club fixture, basically disappeared from the scene. Anyonewho has been in the presence of her alluring energy on the bandstand knows this to be a conspicuous absence.
It turns out thatMarie and her husband moved to Virginia to be closer to their mothers.
“We miss Denver like crazy,” Marie told me before her trip back to Colorado to perform at Dazzle for the weekend, with two shows scheduled for April 6. “But when we see our moms, it’s worth it.”
Marie and her trio are promoting her latest CD, “IWanna Be Evil,” an impassioned tribute to the charismatic and uninhibited singer Eartha Kitt. With “Evil,” Marie continues a seemingly unstoppable run of winning recordings. She has evolved into one of the premier song stylists in jazz, and while her current record label, Motema, is a truly outstanding independent outfit, it’s perplexing that she hasn’t been snapped up by one of the majors. Perhaps it’s just a matter of time.
With “Evil,” Marie captures Kitt’s energy without impersonating her. I wondered what led her to pay homage to the late chanteuse.
“I got to see her live one time, in a little club. Everybody was at the edge of their seats with their mouths open, drooling, “Marie said with a laugh. “She never apologized for being her. She completely owned her sexuality and sensuality. I really admire that about her.”
It’s worth noting that Marie and Kitt are kindred spirits in their fierce independence. Kitt spent much of her career blazing her own trail, and Marie has long touted her commitment to following her own vision, no matter the consequences.
“To anyone who wants to pursue their art, find out who you are. Figure out what makes you unique, and don’t listen to people who tell you to be like others,” Marie said. “Don’t hang out with them! Only listen to the voice that’s in your head before you go to sleep. That’s your true voice.”
(Rene Marie, 6 and 8 p.m. tonight, Dazzle Jazz, 930 April 6. Tickets are $26. dazzlejaz.com.303839- 5100.)
Meanwhile, the Brad Mehldau Trio (Mehldau on piano, Larry Grenadier, bass, and Jeff Ballard, drums) appears April 6 at the Boulder Theater. Mehldau has contributed a substantial body of cerebral and spirited work to the piano trio canon in recent years. Tickets range from $20-35. bouldertheater.com … Pianist Helen Sung has an excellent new release, “Anthem For A New Day,” and she’ll perform at Jazz@Jack’s onWednesday … Also on tap for April: another rising piano star, Tigran Hamasayan, plays the Oriental Theater on April 18 … Saxophone royalty Benny Golson plays theMount Vernon Country Club on April 24, and the UNC/Greeley Jazz Festival features the legendaryWayne Shorter, ChristianMcBride, Jeff Hamilton and the Swingle Singers in Greeley April 24-26.
Bret Saunders is the host of the KBCO Morning Show, 6 a.m.-noon Monday through Friday at 97.3 FM and KBCO.com. Contact: bretsaunders@KBCO.com; Twitter: @Bretontheradio.