RENE MARIE

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About this clip:

Vocalist Rene Marie performs the Lord Melody composition “Mama Look a Boo Boo” a song made famous by Harry Belafonte, during her Belafonte tribute concert “Jump In the Line!” on June 10, 2024 — part of the 41st San Francisco Jazz Festival and broadcast on Fridays Live.

Watch the full performance on SFJAZZ At Home: https://www.SFJAZZ.org/AtHome

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About this concert:

“…Sheer brilliance… Marie’s torch burns hotter and oft-times brighter than any of her peers” says “JazzTimes” about René Marie, a superlative jazz singer with an affinity for Betty Carter, Ella Fitzgerald, and Dinah Washington. She returns with a seven-piece band to perform her program Jump In the Line!, a heartfelt tribute to the late actor, activist, and calypso innovator Harry Belafonte, joined by guest trumpeter Etienne Charles and trombonist Andrae Murchison.

In her words:
“Maybe it was the audible, irrepressible joy, the mischief, or the heartfelt delivery in every song he sang; qualities that obliterated any pain or doubt, drew me out of my shyness long enough to memorize “Man Piaba / Woman Piaba,” or “Cocoanut Woman.” By listening carefully, I could see in my mind's eye the full detail of whichever character he happened to be singing about.

Was it the percussion alone? Or the playful vocabulary of calypso as a whole? Was it simply the FUN in singing along with "Matilda", "Scratch Me Back" or "Jump In the Line"? Whatever the ingredients, I have memorized the lyrics, savored the music and danced to it my entire life.

Why am I having such a difficult time expressing what Belafonte's music means to me? Perhaps because it touches something so fundamental and personal that words simply dissipate. Here is what I am trying to say about Belafonte: long before I became aware of his dedication to the civil rights movement, he provided a healing for my spirit that I didn't know I needed. That laid the foundation for all his admirable works I was to learn about - and not merely learn about but attempt to imitate as an adult.

Excavating aspects of the depth, breadth and width of an artist's work in 90 minutes or less is an impossible endeavor. But we are going to have a LOT of fun trying...

PERSONNEL:
René Marie: vocals
Etienne Charles: trumpet, percussion
Andrae Murchison: trombone
Dan Wilson: guitar
Xavier Davis: piano
Rodney Jordan: bass
Quentin Baxter: drums

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