Jazz vocalist René Marie burst on the scene in 2000 with the enthusiasm of a twenty-year-old ingénue and the maturity of an established vocal veteran, though, in fact, the fortysomething singer's career has been twenty years in the making. Her three most recent releases (2000's How Can I Keep From Singing?, 2001's Vertigo and 2003's Live at Jazz Standard) have firmly planted her at the fore of modern vocalists carrying on the traditional standards while drawing latter-day candidates into the canon. Blessed with a voice that commands attention at a whisper and demands respect at a roar, Marie understands that strong pipes are only half the battle. In choosing her material -- ranging from takes on Nat King Cole to dramatic renderings of Lennon and McCartney -- and carefully crafting her arrangements, Marie defines dramatic territories ripe for interpretive exploration.
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