Jazz star Dianne Reeves comes to Healdsburg Jazz Festival 2023
To singer Dianne Reeves, jazz is more than music. It’s part of her life story and, by the way, it’s also the family business.
Reeves was born in Detroit into a musical family. Her father sang; her mother played trumpet. Her uncle is bassist Charles Burrell, the first African American to be a member of a major American symphony, the Denver Symphony Orchestra (now known as the Colorado Symphony). Her cousin was the late George Duke, keyboardist, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer.
“Music was empowering,” she recalled in a recent interview with The Press Democrat. “We saw people that looked like us on ‘The Ed Sullivan Show.’”
A five-time Grammy Award-winner, Reeves, 66, will bring the music to Sonoma County fans June 24 at this year’s 25th anniversary Healdsburg Jazz Festival.
The talent at the festival ranges from established masters to new stars. Samara Joy, 23, named the year’s best new artist at the 2023 Grammy Awards and winner in the best jazz vocal album category, will perform June 18.
“I had an opportunity to work with her on a Christmas tour,” Reeves said of Joy. “She was extraordinary. She is a continuation of the music. All these wonderful young voices are coming through right now.”
Reeves has been immersed in music for a lifetime. After her father’s death, when she was 2 years old, Reeves grew up in Denver with her mother.
In 1971, she started singing and playing piano. She was a member of her high school band, and while performing at a convention in Chicago was noticed by trumpeter Clark Terry, who invited her to sing with him. That was the beginning of her career.
“I feel Clark Terry gave me a strong foundation,” Reeves said. “He taught me how to communicate musically.”
Her musical heroes include legendary jazz singers Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan, and jazz saxophonist Cannonball Adderley. Critics have compared her to vocalists Dinah Washington and Carmen McRae.
“Basically, I’m always devoted to my first love, which is jazz. Traditionally, that means being able to take all the great songs from the American songbook,” Reeves said.
At the same time, she has blended in the great music of her own lifetime.
“Because improvisation is such a part of jazz, I also have been influenced by Aretha Franklin and Freddie Mercury,” she explained.
“I grew up at a time when nobody said ‘genre.’ Motown was mostly jazz musicians,” she recalled. “We listened to Gladys Knight, the Beatles. Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder, Crosby Stills and Nash. I was influenced by the time when I grew up, and I give a jazz interpretation.”
Music from around the world also has found its way into her repertoire. In Healdsburg, she’ll perform with Brazilian jazz guitarist Romero Lubambo as well as her own band.
“That is the foundation of jazz music,” Reeves said. “You can come together in the music.”
You can reach Staff Writer Dan Taylor at dan.taylor@pressdemocrat.com or 707-521-5243. On Twitter @danarts.
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