Recognized as one of jazz's pre-eminent vocalists, Grammy winner Dianne Reeves is one of the most significant singers in jazz. While her singing is steeped in tradition, her rhythmic virtuosity and improvisational ease are breathtaking.
Reeves has won the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Performance for each of her last three recordings: A little Moonlight in 2003, The Calling in 2001 and In The Moment-Live in Concert in 2000. In fact, Reeves is the only recording artist in any singing category to have accomplished such a feat three records in a row.
Dianne Reeves was clearly born of jazz; her singing draws upon a world of influences-and as with Carmen McRae and Billie Holiday, Reeves is tied to a powerful storytelling instinct. Reeves was the first vocalist signed to the reactivated Blue Note/EMI label in 1987. As a result of her unique R&B and jazz stylings, Reeves has since captured a huge following and tremendous critical acclaim throughout the world.
Reeves was featured with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra for several Duke Ellington projects in celebration of Ellington's Centennial. A recording with Daniel Barenboim and the Chicago Symphony, and a concert appearance at Carnegie Hall with Sir Simon Rattle and the Orchestra of St. Lukes were among her appearances associated with the Ellington Centennial salute.
In 2002, Reeves performed at the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. She also received the Ella Fitzgerald Award at the Montreal International Jazz Festival, released a career-spanning compilation CD on Blue Note, The Best of Dianne Reeves and sang on the season finale of HBO's “Sex & the City”.
Reeves was also appointed Creative Chair for Jazz for the Los Angeles Philharmonic-a newly established position. In this role, Reeves oversees the scheduling of jazz programming and educational workshops at both the Hollywood Bowl and the heralded Walt Disney Concert Hall.
In late 2002, Reeves worked with legendary producer Arif Mardin (Norah Jones, Aretha Franklin) on her new album, A Little Moonlight, an intimate and highly praised collection of ten standards featuring her touring trio (pianist Peter Martin, bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Greg Hutchinson).
Reeves spent much of 2003 touring throughout the world. She received an Honorary Doctorate from the Berklee College of Music in the fall and closed out the year on New Year's Eve performing a program of Gershwin with the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Simon Rattle-a performance broadcast live throughout much of Europe and the Far East. Around the same time, Reeves became the first internationally renowned jazz artist to perform in Qatar. The Peninsula, Qatar's preeminent English language paper said of Reeves, “A starburst of song exploded onto the stagealong with the rain, a musical front moved through Qatar on Thursday evening changing the musical landscape forever.”
In 2004, A Little Moonlight won the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Performance. Reeves will continue to tour extensively in 2004 including stops in Japan, India, Korea and, of course, dozens of engagements throughout Europe. September 2004 will mark the release of Dianne's first holiday recording, Christmas Time is Here. Destined to be a classic, Christmas Time is Here features unforgettable renditions of Little Drummer Boy, Carol of the Bells, Christmas Waltz, I'll Be Home For Christmas, Let It Snow and many, many more.
“Dianne's the legitimate extension of all of the good things that have gone on before, from Ethel Waters to Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah and Carmen. She is earth mother, lover, the hurt child: she manages to get inside each one of those things.” ~ Joe Williams in Down Beat