Renee Olstead says Filipinos’ love for jazz is why she keeps returning to PH

Renee Olstead performs at the Myx Music Awards on Wednesday. (Photo by Teddy Pelaez/InterAksyon)

As far as she can recall, this is actually the fifth time that Renee Olstead has visited the country and the 24-year old actress and jazz singer admits it’s one destination she always looks forward to whenever she travels.

“I love it here. I love the culture, the people, and I love your affinity to jazz as well as the openness to all kinds of music that I respect so much,” she said in a press conference to promote “Summertime with Renee Olstead”, her dinner concert slated this Saturday, March 29, at the Isla Grand Ballroom of Edsa Shangri-La Hotel in Mandaluyong City.

Renee’s rendezvous with media also coincided with the opening of the new Merk’s Bar at its new location at eBar also in EDSA Shangri-La Hotel.

Renee said she herself has a special affinity with Merk’s Bar, citing her duet with Asia’s Queen of Jazz, Annie Brazil—mother of Merk’s Bar owner Richard Merk—as one of the highlights of her Philippine visits.

Renee said if given the chance, she’s very much open to working with more Filipino artists in her succeeding visits. “I would love to work and have some songwriting sessions with your Filipino songwriters,” she enthused.

It would be indeed be great to hear Renee Olstead perform more original material in the future, particularly some that she composed herself. With the way she interprets popular standards like “Pennies from Heaven”, “When I Fall in Love”, “Hit The Road, Jack”, “Midnight at the Oasis”, “What a Difference a Day Makes”, “Someone to Watch Over Me” and “Summertime”, imagine what she can do with brand-new songs.

Born in Kingwood, Texas, Renee started her career as a child actress appearing in small roles in films like “Space Cowboys”, “End of Days”, “The Insider” and “13 Going on 30”.

She started her recording career singing country music in two of her early releases. It wasn’t until 2004 that she turned to jazz when she released her self-titled album of jazz standards citing a song from the film “Pleasantville” as a turning point in shifting her musical direction.

“I fell in love with jazz in a very organic way. I was 12 when I was watching this movie and then I heard this song ‘At Last’ by Etta James in one of the scenes. It’s such a beautiful song. I haven’t heard anything like it. So I went to a local music library—I’m a huge fan of libraries by the way—and I began researching about it, and then I discovered other great jazz singers like Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughn and others like them,” she fondly recalled.

Renee has never looked back since. In 2009, she released “Skylark”, her second album of jazz standards. That same year, Renee was part the all-star CD, “A Tribute to Billie Holliday” where she performed “Good Morning, Heartache”.

Renee Olstead smiles at the audience at the Myx Music Awards. (Photo by Teddy Pelaez/InterAksyon)

All of this while also doing well as an actress with noteworthy stints in the sitcom “Still Standing” and the teen drama “The Secret Life of the American Teenager”. She has an upcoming TV movie in the works called “Work Mom”.

“When I’m acting, I get to play someone else which is great because I get to tell someone else’s story through my character. But with music, I just get to be myself. That’s what I love about it, “ she replied when asked to differentiate between singing and acting.

For her coming Manila show, Renee promised “a great intimate set” of “songs that people would love to sing along to”.

As a sample, Renee happily obliged the media’s request to sing a few bars of “Someone To Watch Over Me” and captivated everyone with her smooth, enchanting voice.

There’s certainly more where that came from as most of her fans will find out this Saturday at her “Summertime” concert. Tickets are available at the venue.

Renee Olstead says Filipinos’ love for jazz is why she keeps returning to PH

Source: InterAksyon.com (March 29, 2014 at 01:37PM)

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