It's easy to lose track of the true essence of jazz when being bombarded by so many fancy displays of technique and pretentious flaunts of artifice. While so many musicians are willing to settle for a superficial jazz approach, the rare artists willing to take risks and explore the idiom's mysteries subscribe to a deeper commitment to the music. On her sixth Blue Note recording, appropriately titled Art and Soul, Renee Rosnes again reveals herself to be one of the most imaginative and soulful pianists of modern jazz by rendering a diverse collection of tunes -- from the Beatles to Bartok, from Ornette Coleman to Duke Ellington -- with her distinctive touch.
Born in Regina in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan and growing up in Vancouver, Rosnes began her formal music training when she started taking piano lessons at age 3 (at age 5 she began violin lessons). She studied classically at the University of Toronto but got her practical jazz training in Vancouver clubs, and on CBC Radio broadcasts. She moved to New York in 1986 (on a grant from the Canada Council of the Arts) and immediately began to make a name for herself supporting such legends as Wayne Shorter, Joe Henderson and J.J. Johnson.
In the late '80s, Rosnes joined "Out of the Blue," the hard bop Blue Note group of young up-and-comers. Based on her association with that band, she was signed to the label. What followed was a string of highly acclaimed recordings beginning with Renee Rosnes (1989), For the Moment (1990), Without Words (1992), Ancestors (1995) and As We Are Now (1997). Her auspicious debut featured two striking duets with Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter as well as several tunes with Branford Marsalis. On subsequent albums, guests have included Joe Henderson, Buster Williams, Chris Potter, Nicholas Payton, Jack DeJohnette and Christian McBride. In a Stereophile article reviewing As We Are Now, writer Zan Stewart hails the recording as "One of the finest contemporary jazz albums in recent memory...a state-of-the-art document that shows how the melody-and-swinging imbued. Rosnes has enlarged her art via new compositional forms and selective dissonances to give her music a most modern groove. And by always returning from adventurous moods to those that are tamer, Rosnes encourages us to trust and follow her. Listening with defenses down, the music pours in, and we are expanded too."
In addition to touring and recording with her own groups, Rosnes currently performs with the dynamic Bobby Hutcherson, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band (led by Jon Faddis), and James Moody to name a few. She also belongs to a newly formed trio called "Drummonds" featuring Ray Drummond on the bass, and her husband, Billy Drummond on the drums.
Rosnes has said, "Of the many tests that face the creative artist, that of artfully and soulfully expressing the scope of one's realities and life experiences is most challenging and ultimately most rewarding." Indeed, Art and Soul serves as the litmus test of Rosnes' heartfelt commitment to the music that is ultimately just as rewarding to the listener.
