René Marie closes out Women’s History Month at KUVO

René Marie is an inspiration to so many who have thought or even said: “my time has passed”. This talented lady did not start her musical career until she was 42 years old. Her faith and belief in herself can teach others that when they think that it’s over, it is actually just beginning.

In an interview she once said. “I used to think it was a liability that I didn’t start earlier. But the longer I continue to sing, I think of it as an asset.”

Tiring of dealing with people who were not helping her move in the right direction, she left Atlanta and moved to Denver in 2005 and fell in love with Colorado (who could blame her).  

“I was trying to pull away from people who were trying to get me to go in a direction I didn’t want to go,” she said.

She now lives back in her home state of Virginia, where she was nice enough to answer some questions for me regarding her Sheroe’s in jazz, what inspires her about jazz, and a little more.

René who are some of your Sheroes (female heroes) in Jazz?

The first ones I think of are Nina Simone, Abbey Lincoln, Betty Carter.  I mean, all these female musicians had a difficult time of it, the social mores being what they were with male domination everywhere you turned.  But the three I mention stand out to me because of their pluck and determination to be who they were, unapologetically.  They stood up for what they believed musically and socially, often combining the two. As a result, they also stood out.

How did you become interested in jazz?

I truly love all kinds of music.  And I can find a way of expressing my own musical truths within a variety of musical genres. But what I find in jazz that is non-existent in almost every other kind of music, is the improvisational aspects, the expectation for the musician to deviate from what is written on the page. This is what the audience listens for and what the jazz musician strives for; “How do I stay within the confines of the chord changes, melodies, and rhythm, yet still find a way to improvise upon it?” It’s problem-solving at its best!

What is your favorite jazz song?

My favorite jazz song is the one I happen to be singing at any given moment.

What is it about Jazz that inspires you?

Being a jazz musician gives us the freedom to welcome all kinds of music with open arms, knowing that any kind of song can become a jazz tune if we can figure out a way to swing it or “blues it up”, add a flatted fifth or a sharped ninth.  Jazz is the ultimate expression of turning lemons into lemonade!

For more information about René (including her upcoming show at Dazzle on Friday, April 5^th) you can check out her website.