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| Rising Star Jazz Vocalist ANAIS RENO's "Lady of the Lavender Mist," Her 2nd Album When vocalist ANAÏS RENO burst onto the scene in 2021 with her debut album, Lovesome Thing: Anais Reno Sings Ellington & Strayhorn, delighted listeners were surprised to learn that she had recorded it a year earlier when she was just 16 years old – undoubtedly, because very few people her age have the vocal chops, musical maturity, and ability to interpret song lyrics with such emotional depth. Talkin' Broadway said, "With her grace, gravitas, serenity, and prodigious skills—one can proclaim that the work of Anaïs is impressive without any added qualifier/caveat like 'for someone her age.'" Now, four years after releasing her debut recording, she has once again tackled the Great American Songbook with her newest album, LADY OF THE LAVENDER MIST, a collection of widely known love songs with a couple of surprises. Reno, who grew up in New York City, is joined by a rhythm section of heavy hitter East Coast players, including guitarist PETER BERNSTEIN, bass player DAVID WONG, and drummer JOE FARNSWORTH. She is also joined on one tune by a special guest, her mother, the classical violinist JULIET KURTZMAN, who co-produced the album with Reno. Reno has been on the path to becoming a professional singer for just about her whole life. Coming from a musical family, she began taking voice lessons at the 92nd Street Y when she was eight years old as a recipient of the Recanati-Kaplan Scholarship Program. Even at that young age, she had become hooked on jazz when a teacher, the singer Sarah Tolar, recognized her talent and suggested she learn standards. It did not take long for her to start performing her own shows at a variety of NYC venues. By the time she was 12 years old, she began singing at open mic night at Birdland, where she became a regular. She got her first gig as a leader when she was 13 at Feinstein's/54 Below. The club was so taken with her, they wound up giving her three solo shows with Billy Stritch and Tedd Firth. Her many honors include the 2016 Forte International Competition's Platinum Award at Carnegie Hall and Second Place at Michael Feinstein's Great American Song Book Academy competition in 2018. She was also the First Place winner at the Mabel Mercer Foundation competition in New York in March of 2019. In 2021, she was part of the NYCNext video of Billy Joel's "NY State of Mind" that welcomed people back to NY after the pandemic. The video featured Sara Bareilles, Stephen Colbert, Idina Menzel and other celebrities. That same year, Reno sang "America the Beautiful" at the 20th anniversary of 9/11 Mets-Yankees game. The genesis of this album began while Reno was on a train listening to Duke Ellington recordings. She explains, "I came across a title I'd never heard of, 'Lady of the Lavender Mist.' Immediately taken by the evocative image its name and swelling arrangement conjured up, I listened on repeat for the rest of the ride. The tune did not have lyrics, and I began to agonize over writing my own. Ellington's music painted a clear picture to me: a phantom woman haunts a natural landscape, waiting to be found behind lavender mist she cannot see life beyond. The obvious ending I saw was her inevitable disappearance, never being saved in the way she imagined. A few months into writing, I started assembling an album of standards with 'Lady of the Lavender Mist' its centerpiece. After realizing how the lyrics related to my personal strife at the time, I understood it wasn't just a sad story, but a cautionary tale. The Lady's actions, or lack thereof, warned of what can happen when one can't find their way out of a negative experience. I realized that most of the songs I chose had a common thread: their narrators either enacted change, wished heartache had not been thrust upon them, or found joy in new experiences. I gave myself permission to feel that joy while creating this album. It captured the beginning of my adult self-awareness. Recalling that train ride, I smile at the version of me who pressed 'play, ' unaware of that moment's significance." Reno opens the album with "Les Feuilles Mortes/The Autumn Leaves, " singing it half in French. She explains, "Years ago, my dad played me a recording of Yves Montand singing 'Autumn Leaves' in French, titled 'Les Feuilles Mortes.' I analyzed the French next to the English lyrics and was enamored by how beautifully they each painted distinct images with so few words. Of course, 'Les Feuilles Mortes' translates to 'The Dead Leaves, ' a sentiment with far more finality than the English lyrics of 'red and gold.'' Reno says that at 16, she might have turned her nose up at the simple melody of "When Lights Are Low, " but now she appreciates the mellow atmosphere the band created for her to relax into, allowing her to add her own spin. As she grew as a musician, she learned to value the importance of purely joyful music. A prime example of this is "Gravy Waltz, " a tune that is often done as an instrumental but has perfectly-swinging lyrics by Steve Allen that Reno notes often bring audiences to dance in their seats at her live shows. Reno wrote the lyrics to "Lady of the Lavender Mist" after a very difficult period in her life. "I'll Remember April, " the subsequent track, describes a very different ending to "Lady of the Lavender Mist." Rather than being stuck and unable to move on, it celebrates the moment when you can finally smile after coming to terms with the positive effects of a relationship that has ended. Reno says, "I can never stop raving about Duke Ellington's impact on my musicianship, and I love 'Take Love Easy' because of the lyrics. I've wondered where the narrator of 'Lady Lavender' would have ended up had she learned the lesson of the lyrics in this song." Ahmad Jamal is another favorite of Reno's. She loves his phrasing and ability to build infectious arrangements, and she felt she would be remiss if she did not pay homage to his trio's version of his iconic "Poinciana" two years after his passing. Reno draws you into "'Round Midnight" with just guitar accompaniment before the rest of rhythm section joins in halfway through the song. Her arrangement and interpretation were inspired by Carmen McRae's decision to not approach it as a torch song, but rather as a confession of desperation and hope. Reno closes the album with her arrangement of "Kiss and Run." She says, "I have the most fun performing exaggerated interpretations of various feelings and characters, particularly when they manifest as angry or ironic. I thoroughly enjoyed arranging it to quite literally reflect the narrator's sarcastic frustration, almost as much as I enjoyed the sarcastic frustration of my bandmates while playing this chaotic arrangement." AnaÏs Reno was an amazing talent when she first recorded at the age of 16. Five years and many performances later, she has matured and grown even more as an artist. With her great feel for swing, impeccable intonation, and mature approach to lyrics, she has proven herself to be a notable successor to the great jazz vocalists of the past. LADY OF THE LAVENDER MIST portends a stellar future for this up-and-coming young artist. # # # LADY OF THE LAVENDER MIST was released on May 23, 2025 and is available on Club 44 Records and on streaming platforms everywhere write your comments about the article :: © 2025 Jazz News :: home page |