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Bio
Born
into a musical family, Renée Doruyter started singing and talking at about
the same time and vividly remembers her first public performance at a
Christmas concert at age five. During her teens and early 20s, she explored
folk music, pop, rock, country, musical theatre and jazz in addition to
performing in school and church choirs.
Ella Fitzgerald,
Sarah Vaughan, Anita O'Day, Frank Sinatra, Nina Simone, Carmen McRae and
Billie Holiday were early influences and in the late '60s, Renée embarked
on a promising pop music career, working in clubs across the country.
When the disco phenomenon of the '70s came along and took over from live
music, Renée established a career as a broadcaster (CHQM) and journalist
(The Province).
But there was a moment,
she says, when that all changed.
"I was diagnosed
with breast cancer. It was treated and when I made five years, I thought
I had a clean bill of health. Six months later, I was diagnosed with it
a second time, had a mastectomy, reconstruction, the works. And I decided
I had to do what pleases me, what feeds my soul... There's nothing like
a life-threatening disease to smack you upside the head! I paid attention."
A 1986 visit to New
York and an impromptu "sitting-in" session at a Manhattan club
got her started again, this time completely focussed on jazz. "I
changed my life," she says. "I ended a long relationship ‹ I
needed to have a space where I could practise and work out vocally. the
voice is like any instrument, you must gain control of it -- and you're
not going to sound good while you're developing that control. I went deep
into the shed, as the guys used to say."
A few years later,
she emerged as one of Vancouver's most popular jazz vocalists, known for
an eclectic repertoire of standards and original material, a seductive
sound and a swinging way with a lyric. Among her teachers: Rhiannon, Joey
Blake, Jay Clayton, Sheila Jordan, Norma Winstone, Jennifer Scott, Shannon
Gunn in workshops at VCC, the Banff Centre for the Arts, Hollyhock and
in private lessons.
"And I began
listening again to younger singers that I liked: Debbie Duncan, a fabulous
singer from Minneapolis; and Kurt Ellling, who does vocalese rants the
way I'd like to... These people are inspiring! And in the Hollyhock and
Rhiannon workshops I met a bunch of singers who wanted to get together
and improvise -- that's been a lot of fun and educational, too.
"Out of that
has come the opportunity to sing in some interesting projects _ Karen
Jamieson's Raven and the Railway, and improvised dance performances with
Jennifer Mascall -- really challenging and really FUN!!!"
Musicians she has
performed and/or recorded with include Miles Black, Rick Kilburn, Keith
Copeland, Linton Garner, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Wyatt Ruther,
Glenna Powrie, Oliver Gannon, Bob Murphy, Miles Hill, Ken Lister, Torben
Oxbol, André Lachance, Tom Keenlyside, Rene Worst, Craig Scott, Owen Howard,
Bill Emes, Henry Young, John Nolan, Ron Johnston, Lorne Kellett, Mike
Rud, Tommy Banks and Paul Ruhland.
Renée's first CD,
Every Time We Say Goodbye, featuring favourite standards by the Gershwins,
Cole Porter, Lerner and Loewe, etc. was released in 1993 to good reviews
and continues to get good airplay. Her second CD, Hooked on Romance, (1996)
includes original material written by Renée, Miles Black and Rick Kilburn
and marks her debut as a singer/songwriter.
She released her
third recording in 2001: From the Heart, another eclectic selection of
songs from the "Great American Song Book," sung with a deep
understanding of the lyrics and a fresh approach to the melodies. She
is once again surrounded by fine musicians: Miles Black, piano; Rick Kilburn,
bass; Keith Copeland, drums, and with guests David Say on saxophone and,
on "Where or When," she sings with her musical mentor, the late
Linton Garner.
"That he agreed
to record with me was a huge honour," says Renée. "He helped
me tremendously when I was first making the switch from pop music to jazz.
Linton was the nicest human being you could hope to meet, a true gentleman
in every sense of the word and a marvellous supporter of anyone wanting
to make art, make music. He made everyone feel special."
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