Jazz Articles about Dianne Reeves

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Dianne Reeves and Terence Blanchard at the Orange County Performing Arts Center

by Jim Santella
May 12, 2005

Founders Hall Orange County Performing Arts Center Costa Mesa, California May 7, 2005 Two leading voices in mainstream jazz turned up last weekend at Founders Hall to delight a packed house with emotions soaring and to communicate with their audience as up-close and personal as the folks who live next door. You'd think that they'd just dropped in to bring you a plate of homemade cookies and to chat for awhile over coffee. Dianne Reeves ...

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Dianne Reeves: Christmas Time Is Here

by Jim Santella
October 4, 2004

Dianne Reeves puts her personal touch on each of these Christmas carols. Nothing remains ordinary. Each arrangement lets her flow with the freedom that she has always enjoyed in her performances.

Reeves' voice makes each of these traditional pieces float with heartfelt joy. “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire," she sings. The scene comes to life as natural as any other day of the season. Peace settles in gracefully.

“Santa Claus is on his way / ...

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Dianne Reeves: Christmas Time Is Here

by Mark Sabbatini
September 21, 2004

This is one of those albums that's not really ideal for playing while opening gifts Christmas morning--in a very good sense.

Christmas Time Is Here is an above-average and sometimes spectacular album that doesn't deserve to compete with screaming kids and tearing paper for the listener's ear. Reeves is on a tear lately with three straight Grammy-winning albums, and this release will undoubtedly win a place on the long-term holiday playlists of fans and new listeners. But ...

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Dianne Reeves: A Little Moonlight

by Elliott Simon
January 19, 2004

Vocalist Dianne Reeves is coming off back to back Grammys for two highly orchestrated efforts: the Sarah Vaughan tribute Calling , and her live set In the Moment. For A Little Moonlight , she has stripped down this approach and used an intimate format to present captivating versions of jazz standards. A Little Moonlight is Reeves plain and candid, highlighting her wide ranging voice in all its glory. Energizing as she scats and swings on the up tempo numbers, she ...

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Dianne Reeves: A Little Moonlight

by Jim Santella
August 25, 2003

A little moonlight can work wonders on your spirits. Aside from the obvious romantic overtones, the presence of the moon looking down on you night after night works as an old friend who’s never too far away to say hello. Again and again. It’s the same moon that conversed with our earliest ancestors all across the globe. No wonder the Great American Songbook contains so many moon songs. That familiar white orb reminds us that the day is done, and ...

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Dianne Reeves: The Calling: Celebrating Sarah Vaughan

by Jim Santella
March 1, 2001

Dianne Reeves and Sarah Vaughan have a lot in common. They share an emotional, from-the-heart form of communicating with an audience. A full, rich vocal tone and dramatic spirit bring them closer together with every phrase. Both appreciate a beautiful song, and both augment their presentations with unique, wordless vocal styles.

With a full string orchestra on every track, Reeves unleashes a program of stirring musical arrangements. Billy Childs, a bright guy with forward-leaning ideas, created most of these unique ...

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Dianne Reeves: The Calling: Celebrating Sarah Vaughan

by AAJ Staff
January 1, 2001

The Calling: Celebrating Sarah Vaughan is Dianne Reeves’ grandest project yet. It also is one closest to heart as she pays tribute to one of her primary vocal influences. Having listened to Sarah Vaughan for most of her life, and having met Vaughan without recognizing her in 1975 during Cannonball Adderley’s memorial service, Reeves, after eleven albums, finally has the confidence to tackle some of Vaughan’s best-known tunes as she ignores the inevitable comparisons.As demanded by the scale ...