On December 28, 2019, Marta Ren fulfilled an old dream: “to flood” Avenida dos Aliados in Porto (Portugal) with a wave of groove alongside one of her favorite orchestras - “the incredible Matosinhos Jazz Orchestra”. It was a magical night where, together, they recreated their first solo album, "Stop, Look, Listen" while also revisiting some of their favorite American songbook classics.

 

It is common for the peak of an artist's career in Portugal to be marked by a concert or record with an Orchestra, but Marta Ren's career has not (yet) reached its peak and this meeting was not fortuitous: Marta grew up in Matosinhos, lived in Porto where he graduated in arts and musical practice, including jazz singing.

 

But this meeting is not just another episode in her rich journey. It was the subject of rehearsals, new choices, new arrangements and is one more contribution to black-inspired music made in Portugal.

 

Her record on record is entitled “Marta Ren invites Matosinhos Jazz Orchestra ao Vivo nos Aliados” and will be released on June 25 (2021) in Portugal by Rastilho Records.

 

“Seventeen musicians amplify the queen of soul-funk. Hold on!”, as the orchestra's conductor, Pedro Guedes, enthusiastically described it in the preparation of this special show, which will return to the stage as soon as conditions allow.

On this record, the complicity between the singer-songwriter and the conductor can be felt in “Smiling Faces”, a composition of hers that remains a hidden radio hit, or in “Nature Boy”, a very personal choice from the Jazz Songbook, that Marta Ren transforms into a magical and signature version of her.

 

Tracklist, CD

01. Worth it

02. Release me

03. I'm not your regular woman

04. Smiling Faces

05. Nature Boy

06. Summer's Gone (Didn't swim)

07. So Long

08. Lets talk about the kids