Reneé and her band hit the ground running on their first song, "Put Your Pillow In The Bathtub" from her CD, dancing with Mr. Blue. Reneé sang with great range, power, and attitude on this up-tempo, catchy blues number about getting even. Her new stripped down band provided a tighter, harder, blues edge while retaining some of the funkiness of her more R&B oriented previous band. Reneé came right back with one of her new songs, "Fool Moon" which gives her a chance to showcase her considerable vocal range, rich tones, and power. Her band did a great job of building from slow and subtle to faster and impassioned, following her vocal lead. This song about love will no doubt be the highlight of her upcoming CD.
Reneé's new band features three solid singers in addition to herself. New drummer Marc Bohn demonstrated this with his enthusiastic and gritty vocals on "If the Shoe Fits," which had Reneé good naturedly admonishing him for singing too well. Chris Johnson on five-string bass also contributed some excellent vocals from time to time, singing in a emotionally strong, clear voice. And on keyboard and B-3 Tim Wick has a great growly, gravelly voice that fits the blues, rock, and boogie woogie tunes to which he contributes vocals. New guitar player Michael Scott sticks to the guitar. On "Catfish Woman" his excellent slide playing on acoustic guitar richly complemented Reneé's vocals, which built from low, strong and earthy to soaring highs, culminating in a long held note that pierced the room and demonstrated her incredible breath control. Reneé played her Fender guitar on this song about a strong woman who has seen too much pain and loss but is a survivor. This is Delta Blues with roots.
For her second set, Reneé started out with only herself and Michael Scott on acoustic guitar on the slow, emotional blues of "Bitter Water." Reneé played tambourine and sang in her strong, passionate voice. The spare, pleasant sound with little instrumentation allowed her to showcase her voice and Michael's solid, expressive guitar picking. In recognition of National Breast Cancer Awareness (which this show was a charity for), Reneé then did a solo number, "How Do I Say Goodbye." This very emotional song had a direct connection to the audience, with its message of loss and having to say goodbye to a loved one before you're ready. Reneé's beautiful, soaring vocals and solid, expressive keyboard playing added greatly to the passion of the song.
Last summer Reneé reformed her band with Tim Wick being the only holdover from her previous band. That band was more horn-driven, R&B while still having a solid footing in blues. The new band seems tighter, more versatile, and to have a whole lot more fun and stronger roots in the blues. The chemistry between the players seems to be great, with Reneé providing incredible energy and enthusiasm that inspires everyone else. Having veteran, talented musicians who want to have fun also seems to inspire Reneé, as she does more dancing and hip shaking on stage. Nowhere was this all brought together better than on their cover of "Swinging" a rocking blues where Reneé bounced, danced, and jumped on stage as she delivered fast, powerful vocals backed by Michael's great wailing guitar. The band was all smiles and having fun as they closed out their second set.
For blues fans, the new Reneé Austin Band will be a great treat and yet another reason to hear in person why Reneé was justly recognized as Female Vocalist of the Year at the Minnesota Music Awards.
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