For years, fans have asked Renée to record a Big Band album. Now comes the long awaited new studio album, Swing. Renee will be performing tracks from Swing live at Wests, New Lambton, Sunday October 27, 2013.
“To all who know me and those who will hear me for first time, you are in for a fabulous surprise with this new album. So it seems I’m one of the few women in the world to be recording my own BIG BAND album! One of the inspirations for Swing was the iconic and ground-breaking Sinatra at the Sands with Count Basie and His Orchestra. Likewise, with this album, I’ve tried to do something that hasn’t been done before. To paraphrase Bette Davis, fasten your seat belts, you’re in for a bumpy… but beautiful ride!” says Renée.
Renée Geyer is one of Australia’s true musical treasures and to celebrate her 40th year in the music business she has delivered a recording that can only be described as a tour de force.
Renée Geyer’s career has spanned four decades and is still going strong with her 25th album. A precocious jazz, blues and soul singer in her late teens; Countdown royalty in her ’20s; a string of pop, soul and reggae hits spanning the ’70s and ’80s; her LA years in the studio with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Sting, Joe Cocker and Chaka Kahn; her ’90s renaissance with Paul Kelly. She is a singer, a songwriter, producer, and author. In 2005 Renée was inducted into the ARIA Hall Of Fame; a proud occasion in which she joined the ranks of Australia’s most respected and accomplished musicians.
Renée Geyer started life as a sassy blues belter. Now she is the consummate entertainer with a proud body of work still transfixing audiences with the power of her music and voice. Swing is destined to be her classic.
Timeless songs delivered by a timeless voice – sometimes it’s that easy. Australian national treasure Renée Geyer is completely at home in front of a big band, joyfully losing herself in standards ‘I Got Rhythm’, ‘My Funny Valentine’, ‘Fly Me to the Moon’, ‘What a Wonderful World’ and a gorgeous ‘Alfie’.
Her mate Paul Kelly shows he can even pull off jazz duetting on the Mel Torme hit ‘Comin’ Home Baby’. Geyer also uses the opportunity to revisit some of her biggest hits – ‘Say I Love You’ is injected with a Latin carnival feel that is infectious, while after all the times she’s sung it she still causes instant goosebumps on ‘It’s a Man’s Man’s World’. In a word – Class.
Renee also featured on the legendary Russell Morris’ blues album called Sharkmouth and sings on the track ‘The Drifter’ and sounds amazing!