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Ranee Lee – an extraordinary talent
Jazz
singer, dancer, song writer, drummer, saxophone player, university
teacher, artist, actress, author, recipient of numerous awards,
including The Order of Canada – Ranee Lee is also grandmother to
14 grandchildren
By
Peter Kerr
Famous
as a jazz singer who has travelled the world, who has performed and
recorded with some of the world’s best musicians – it might
surprise you to know that Ranee Lee started out her performing career
as a dancer. It was serendipity that changed the course of her career,
a change that would bring her international recognition and admiration.
“I was dancing with an Afro-Cuban
touring dance troupe. We were in a small town in Ontario, and we had to
extend the length of our performance to fill the time allotted for the
show. I was chosen to sing some songs
with the band to fill that time, and the audience loved it!” It was a
new beginning for Ranee Lee – the jazz singer.
Ranee was an only child and was raised in Brooklyn, New York. |
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Her
father died when she was young, and her mother Inez (herself an only
child) took on the role of a single parent. “My mother was a
wonderful pianist, and she arranged for me to take lessons. I’d
hide out on the fire escape until my teacher would give up and
leave.” Ranee’s passion was for dance, and she took lessons
and studied from the age of 6 to 16. “I took ballet, and as I got
older, we studied modern and interpretive dance”
Singing was also a big part of her life. “Singing was always
natural for me – I sang in school choirs, church choirs, doo wop
groups and a did little back-up singing in bands.”
In the 1960’s Ranee worked as a singer with Toronto as a home
base. Her agent suggested that she also learn an instrument, as it
would increase her marketability and add variety to her performances.
“I took up the drums, and taught myself the saxophone.” To
this day, Ranee is still a member of the Musician’s Union. Her
regret – “I wish that I had taken those piano lessons my
mother wanted me to have – it would be really useful for me to be
able to play.”
Ranee first came to Montreal to perform as part of a band in 1969, and
she returned in 1970. “I had a new manager based in Montreal, and
he arranged for me to work at the Bonaventure Hotel as a soloist.
“Leon Aronson formed a band of fabulous musicians to accompany
me. We were a hit with the audiences, and the hotel extended our
contact to 3 weeks.” Ranee Lee became a sought after performer,
and there was more work for her and the band. And…there was more
than music. “Richard Ring was the guitarist, and I was really
impressed with his musicianship, and the depth of feeling he put into
his playing.”
| “As a performer, you want to
communicate with your audience – to have them feel the same things
you’re feeling as a performer. Your audience should have the privilege
to hear you like that. Here was this guitarist who was doing just that
with his playing…” Ranee was so impressed that she wanted to get to
know Richard better, and she asked him out for a drink after one of
their shows. “We went to a little club on the corner of Crescent Street
and de Maisonneuve, and we talked and talked about each other. We
became very good friends, based a lot on our respect for each other’s
musical ability.” Ranee’s eyes sparkle and she smiles, “The rest is
history…” |
Ranee as Sadie Delaney (standing), her 103 year old character from the play "Having Our Say" |
Their family doubled overnight. Ranee had three children from her
previous marriage – and Richard four. All of a sudden it was a
large household. “They’re all out of the house now, and we
are blessed with 14 grandchildren!”
Ranee’s musical career flourished. The band toured the province
and the United States. Along with her dear friend Oliver Jones, Ranee
was one of the original recording artists with Jim West’s Justin
Time Records. “I owe a lot to Jim – he’s always had
confidence in my artistic judgement; and he’s been willing to
engage the best musicians for our recordings. We’ve asked many
great musicians like bassist Ray Brown, drummer Ed Thigpen and of
course Oliver – and they’ve always said ‘yes’
to record with us.” Other notable collaborators include; Clark
Terry, Bill Mayes, Terry Clarke, Red Mitchell, Milt Hinton, John Bunch,
and George Arvanitas. It’s also a significant testament to
Ranee’s ability as a singer – that musicians of
international stature were enthusiastic about working with her. Ranee
continues; “Being a recording artist is very important for a
performer, giving you credibility. It’s like having a very
important calling card.”
Ranee has recorded 10 albums with Justin Time, and will soon release
another, recorded live in Montreal’s Upstairs jazz club in the
fall of ’08. Accompanying her are long-time favourite musicians
John Sadoway on piano; drummer Dave Laing; bassist Morgan Moore; and
husband Richard Ring on guitar. “They’re my ‘dream
team’. They always know where I’m going.”
“Montreal is a wonderful place for jazz performers.” Ranee
gives credit to Jazz Festival founders Alain Simard and André
Ménard. “Thanks to their foresight in creating a jazz
mecca, (which now offers year-round concerts in addition to the
summertime Montreal International Jazz Festival), we now have jazz
being taught in schools and universities. Jazz lives healthy in
Montreal because of the festival.” Ranee and Richard contributed
to the early festival marketing efforts, performing as musical
ambassadors at press conferences and official functions.
Ranee has been active in teaching
jazz vocalists studying at McGill (now the Schulich School of Music at
McGill) since 1985.
| “I work one-on-one with the students, helping them
with finer aspects of singing and performing. The students are required
to sing in a jazz choir, and a combo, and I help them with their
performance techniques. I also give master classes.” In addition to her work with
McGill, Ranee has provided a similar service to Quebec City’s Laval
University music school for the past seven years. |
Richard
and Ranee with grandchildren Christian and Ranee outside the house she
lived in Jamaica Queens, New York, before moving to Canada. “My
daughter’s children were so happy to see the block their mom lived on
when she was a little girl.” |
“Teaching
also gives me the opportunity to receive fresh ideas from my students
– it’s a two way communication.”
Ranee Lee – Actress. Ranee performed as Billie Holiday in the
one-woman musical Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill. The show
won critical acclaim at La Diligence supper club in Montreal, in
addition to runs at Club Soda and Centaur Theatre. “You have to
loose who you are – there’s no going back – to
successfully take on a part like that.” The show caught the
attention of a Toronto promoter, and they went all-out to stage the
play, purchasing a night club and decorating it in the style of the
1950s, even naming it Emerson’s Bar & Grill. Ranee won a Dora
Mavor Moore Award for her acting performance. “The Toronto
production was more aggressive, and the director wanted me to really
fall down – not just sort of crumple to the floor. The cuts and
bruises were real! After 9 months I asked to be replaced, partly
because of the physical toll it was taking on me.”
Deep Song, a recording of the songs from the play followed in the mid
80’s. “It was a very short recording session, and we did
most of the songs on the first take. I was at ease with the material
because I was familiar with those songs after playing the role for so
long, plus - I was accompanied by Oliver and Richard.” Not
surprisingly, Deep Song became one of Ranee’s favourite albums.
Ranee returned to the stage as an actress in the 2001 Saidye Bronfman
Centre (now the Segal Centre for the Performing Arts) production of
Having Our Say as one of the two Delaney sisters. Ranee played the 103
year-old Sadie Delaney. “The transformation was
astounding… the first time Richard came to see the play –
he could hardly believe it was me up there!” Ranee continues;
“We had a working kitchen, and had to prepare a meal, while still
delivering our dialogue and maintaining our characters.”
Ranee conceived, wrote and performed in Dark Divas, a musical and
double CD set about the lives and experiences of prominent black female
performers such as Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington,
Pearl Bailey and others from that period. The recording won a Juno
nomination in 2001.
We often say, or hear others remark ‘I should write a
book’. Well, that’s just what Ranee Lee said to
herself…and actually did it. “I wanted to write a
children’s book. I had been performing a song called Nana What Do
You Say? for about 14 years. We have always received a lot of positive
comments about the song, and I decided to write a book along that
theme.” Ranee was concerned about being a small item in a large
publishing house and to seek a small publisher. It proved to be a good
decision. “They fell in love with the story, and I knew we
wouldn’t be pushed aside.”
In addition to writing the book, Ranee, who is an accomplished artist
working in oils, also did the illustrations. Sales went very well, and
the publisher has asked her to write a second book.
While all this was going on, Ranee was also performing and travelling
the world, representing Canada as a jazz performer. “We’ve
performed in Spain, France, Chile, South Africa, Scandinavia, Mexico
and the United States. We also played in Israel, sometimes when other
artists wouldn’t go. As a Christian, it was a moving experience
to be in the Holy Land.”
The Canadian Government showed their appreciation for Ranee’s
work as a musical ambassador, as well as her dedication to teaching. On
February 17, 2007, Ranee was invested into The Order of Canada.
“It’s almost indescribable – born in Brooklyn to
humble beginnings as the only child of another only child –
I’m so honoured to have been accepted by a country! I’ve
noticed a sense of pride in my own family – they walk a little
taller. I could not have given them a better gift that to know that
they have a ‘place’ in this country.”
In October 2007, Ranee was presented with an award of appreciation and
contribution to the development of the McGill Jazz Program by the
McGill Schulich of Music.
Ranee is excited about her eleventh and newest recording for Justin
Time, titled Live at Upstairs. Still pushing the envelope and setting
high standards for herself, she comments; “I’m on my toes
with these songs, even the ones that I know so well.”
“Music is all about communication – we’re having a
dialogue with each other on the bandstand and with the audience. You
have to be in tune with each other to involve the audience.”
Ranee Lee continues to earn the respect of her fellow musicians,
entertain audiences, inspire students and love her grandchildren. What
could be better…Bravo!
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