(Motema)

Voice of My Beautiful Country is vocalist René Marie’s beautiful tribute to the music that shaped and informs her Americanness. A wide cross-section of songs from pop to traditional, covering an aural landscape that ranges from Frances Scott Key to Jefferson Airplane, makes up the menu of this fantastic recording. The singer has a way of bringing out new emotions in a song that is all her own and fosters an air of creative freedom in the musicians that makes her project that much more incredible. The instrumental lineup on this project is Kevin Bales on piano, Quentin Baxter on drums and Rodney Jordan on bass. This is arguably one of René Marie’s best efforts and that is saying a lot, given the considerable quality of her work.