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River Man

by Genevieve Marentette

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about

This is the second single in a series of songs from 1969.

I first heard "River Man" on Nick Drake's album Five Leaves Left in my early teens, and it became one of my sonic sanctuaries.

When I was 15, I experienced unfathomable loss.
My 17-year-old step-sibling and beloved friend Emily passed away.

Emily was a teenage punk poetess who, as an older sister, positively influenced me. But Emily grappled with intense existential crises. She had suicidal tendencies, and darkness eventually consumed her. We lost her when she overdosed on her prescription of Halcion, which is no longer prescribed in such cases.


That year was the most challenging year of my young life. Consumed by crippling grief and my own existential questions, going to school and musical creativity were beyond my grasp. I spent most of my time listening to music alone in my bedroom. Nick Drake was a refuge, and it wasn't until years later that I discovered he, too, had passed away similarly from an overdose of his anti-depressant.


I sing "River Man" for you at the intersection of heartache and relief. An elegy to the lost loves of our lives - my dear sibling and best friend Emily, and all the untimely separations we experience. "Oh, how they come and go." Nick sang of life's transience. Indeed.


This recording features Eric St-Laurent on guitar, George Koller on bass, Ben Wittman on drums, and Rob Christian on sax. As jazz musicians, every time we play is unique, and this is what we laid down one lovely day live off the floor at Canterbury Studios in Toronto with Jeremy Darby on the console. The song was mixed and mastered by saxophonist and co-producer Rob Christian.

Cover photo by David Fine, shot by the Marentette Marsh, in Leamington, ON.


This project could not have taken place without the generous support of my incredible community and my label, Vesuvius Music. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for the privilege of making and releasing music.

credits

released September 30, 2023
☞ CREDITS: MA✓P✓L

"River Man" by Nicholas Rodney Drake



Vocals: Genevieve Marentette

Saxophone: Rob Christian

Guitar: Eric St-Laurent

Bass: George Koller

Drums: Ben Wittman

Recorded at Canterbury Music Co. & RC Studios, Toronto

Mixed & Mastered by Rob Christian

Cover Photo by David Fine

[Vesuvius Music Inc. / IDLA]

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Genevieve Marentette image

Genevieve Marentette Toronto, Ontario

Photo-Dale Sood
Genevieve “Gigi” Marentette is a vocalist and producer based in Toronto, Ontario. A co-founder of the "Kensington Market Jazz Festival", and "Cover One Another Concerts", she loves to collaborate on community driven projects. Genevieve accepts song requests and "Lost Highway" was commissioned as a gift. And YAY - Friends are jumping on with remixes! ... more

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