René closed with a unique intertwining of Maurice Ravel's "Bolero" and Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne" which has become a signature song of her performances. She introduced this song by telling us the influence her father had on her music. René was the fifth of seven children, growing up in Roanoke, Va. For entertainment, her father would play "Bolero" and pretend to be an African hunter with a broom as his spear. He also enjoyed "Suzanne" so her interpretation of the two songs is a loving tribute to her father. She scats the opening notes of "Bolero", then the drums march in and she sang "Suzanne." The audience was in amazement as René turned the impossible into the sublime.

René will be returning to the Bay Area for the San Francisco Jazz Festival on 11/2. Read more about this gifted performer on her MAXJAZZ website or her personal site, renemarie.com.