ANAÏS RENO

LADY OF THE LAVENDER MIST

Club 44 Records

Anaïs Reno, vocals/co-producer; Peter Bernstein, guitar; David Wong, bass; Joe Farnsworth, drums; Juliet Kurtzman, violin/co-producer.

When Anaïs Reno’s debut album was released in 2021 titled, “Lovesome Thing: Anaïs Reno Sings Ellington & Strayhorn,” jazz fans were enthused by a singer who could emotionally deliver jazz standards like an old pro, although she was just sixteen years young.

As I listen to her sophomore release, although she has her own recognizably unique voice, Anaïs Reno clearly loves Ella Fitzgerald.  Four years after releasing her first album, she returns with a collection of favorite standards, singing in both English and French.

By the time this talented young woman was twelve years old, she was performing at ‘Open Mic’ nights at Birdland in New York City. By age thirteen, she was a band leader, singing at the historic Feinstein’s/54 Below. Early on, she was winning accolades and awards.  In 2016, she won the Forte International Competition’s Platinum Award at Carnegie Hall.  In 2019, she was First Place winner at the Mabel Mercer Foundation competition.

One day, while riding the train and listening to Duke Ellington recordings, she discovered a song she had never heard.

“I came across …’Lady of the Lavender Mist’ and was 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. 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,” Reno explained how the composition moved her.

I was anxious to hear the lyrics she wrote to Ellington’s haunting melody.  She sings with just Bernstein’s guitar, creating a striking duet.  Her words paint a picture of a woman who dances with men, a “smiling lady lavender.” 

“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 up them, or found joy in new experiences.  I gave myself permission to feel that joy while creating this album,” she explained.

There are joyful tunes included in this album.  Reno’s interpretation of “When Lights are Low” is sung in a light, happy delivery, as is “Gravy Waltz.”  Peter Bernstein’s mastery of the guitar creates a lovely cushion for Anaïs Reno to bounce upon.  During the jazzy, swinging, waltz tune, both David Wong and Bernstein shine on their solo adventures.  Joe Farnsworth is the star of their arrangement on “I Remember April.”  Ms. Reno sings with his drums only, showing off her perfect pitch, before the band joins them.  “Take Love Easy” is a blues and this rising jazz star sounds as if she may know something about ‘the blues’ despite her youthful age. I enjoyed her rendition of Ahmad Jamal’s huge hit, “Poinciana.” Bernstein’s soulful guitar solo adds a different twist to Jamal’s tune. They close with the swinging arrangement of “Kiss and Run.”

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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