Renaissance is a band which rose from the ashes of the Yardbirds in 1969. Singer Keith Relf and drummer Jim McCarty left the acclaimed British rhythm and blues band to explore new musical horizons, influenced by rock, folk and classical music. When Relf and McCarty left Renaissance at the end of 1970, the band continued in diverse incarnations, the most popular being with Annie Haslam (vocals), Mike Dunford (guitar and composition), Terry Sullivan (drums), John Tout (keyboards) Jon Camp (bass) and Betty Thatcher (lyrics), which remained together from 1972 to 1980.

In October 2009, Mike Dunford and Annie Haslam reformed Renaissance. The band toured in USA, Canada, Japan and Korea in 2009, 2010 and 2011. They released an EP of new material, The Mystic and the Muse and a DVD from the 2011 tour. A brand new studio album is on its way for a release in 2012. More shows are expected too, including the NEARfest 2012 headline performance.

Frank Pagano, Rave Tesar, Annie Haslam, Michael Dunford, David J. Keyes, and Jason Hart
at Infinity Music Hall in Norfolk CT on September 16 2011 - photo by Esa Ahola.