Search - Dianne Reeves :: When You Know

Great music for growns up.

Pedder | New York, NY | 04/16/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Acclaimed as one of the prominent jazz vocalists in the world today she is a quadruple Grammy award-winner and her story-telling instinct, sultry vocals and breathtaking virtuosity have won rave reviews across the globe. She has never stopped developing as an artist, yet she's managed to avoid the curse of being just a musician's singer to reach a wide public and winning Grammys galore - she's the only singer to have won three in a row.

The new album is a departure from the classic jazz of George Clooney's film "Good Night, and Good Luck".

"When You Know", seems tailor-made to reach that big, general audience of moviegoers rather than music fanatics or jazz aficionados.

It is a "concept" recording, which is a celebration of the different phases of love in a woman's life.

The structure is a simple one: 10 tracks take us through the different ways a woman regards love, from teenage dreams through mid-life crises to the closing "Today Will Be a Good Day" - a rollicking, washboard-driven tribute to Reeves' gutsy mother, now in her 80s.

It starts with a delightful, mellow version of The Temptation's "Just My Imagination". Minnie Ripperton's "Loving You" is cunningly arranged to move through different key changes. Diane glides through them effortlessly with the grace of a swan through water and teases you by leaving that those famous stratospheric bird call vocals until right at the end. Throughout she's backed by musicians of the highest calibre (like Billy Childs and piano/keyboard maestro George Duke who also signs the splendid production).

On the classic "The Windmills Of MY Mind" Brazilian guitarist Romero Lubambo conjures up a superb, cunning arrangement which manages to be both tasteful and dramatic. Spurred on, Diane turns the song's cliches into a moving examination of love lost, memories and regret. Lubambo also arranges the title track (he must surely take the credit for those wonderful chords) which is uplifting without being strident but still has real depth and power.

The album ends on an upbeat note with a jaunty country shuffle of "Today Will Be A Good Day".

Far too classy to be filed under 'easy' or 'chill out', "When You Know" is simply great music for grown ups.

"Quite a conundrum, is Dianne Reeves. Technically, the American diva soars above just about all of her rivals - she can sing soul, can swing à la Vaughan - yet her recordings rarely do her justice..An all too smooth collection of standards, including the Temps' "Just My Imagination", Minnie Riperton's "Lovin' You" and the trusty "Windmills of Your Mind". As ever, the vocals are immaculate, but without a spark of life until the end, when Reeves kicks into old-time gospel-blues mode on Today Will Be a Good Day....her recordings cannot possibly reflect her energy, warmth or the sheer range of her voice".Sunday Times

Some of the most famous jazz cats on the market like Romero Lubambo (acoustic guitar), Russell Malone (electric guitar), Steve Wilson (soprano saxophone), George Duke (piano), Billy Childs (Fender Rhodes piano), and Lenny Castro (percussion) join in."

Dianne Reeves returns with a mixed bag.

contempo.jazz | San Francisco/London | 04/23/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"In total contrast with Dianne's last release, the all-jazz soundtrack for the 1950s-set film "Good Night And Good Luck", this album is a rather strange mix of pop, soul, funk, R'n'B and jazz - with the American singer's creamy and elegant vocals the only common thread.

She is such a monumental performer that her powers sometimes overwhelm her material - as if only the most ecstatic, tragic or visionary lyrics can withstand a broadside of this multi Grammy-winner's technique.

"When You Know" reveals a mature, restrained, subtle and dazzlingly musical Reeves, with players and arrangements so good that even the overworn "The Windmills of Your Mind" sounds transformed.

This is an album of love songs, which might not appeal to those for whom lines like "loving you ... is more than just a dream come true" occasion a touch of queasiness. But if anything can win smooth jazz a reprieve, it's this - though it's too full of surprises to warrant the "smooth" label.

There's probably something in here for everyone, but it may struggle to sustain jazz fans' interest, and the rather disconcerting effect is of listening to a radio whose channels are being changed every few minutes.

Album's highlights: "Lovin' You", "Social Call" and 'Midnight Sun".



Good Night, and Good Luck (Widescreen Edition)

Good Night, And Good Luck"

Dianne Ponders the Experience of Love

Caesar M. Warrington | Lansdowne, PA United States | 05/22/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It was a long five years waiting for a new Dianne Reeves CD. However, after spending this last month listening to WHEN YOU KNOW, over and over again, it was well worth the wait. Beautiful, clear, impeccable, Dianne's voice is one of the finest, and I mean that for all time. Dianne can stand next to Ella, Nina, Billie, Sarah and all the rest of them, and will be remembered as one of greatest vocalists in jazz music.



There is a theme to WHEN YOU KNOW: A woman's perspective of Love in all its stages and its many--and often contradictory--feelings. It's an album celebrating the different phases of love in a woman's life, from giddy naivete to seasoned knowledge.



Produced by George Duke and backed by some of the cream of contemporary jazz (among others, Billy Childs, Geoff Keezer, Steve Wilson, Romero Lubambo, Russell Malone, Antonio Sanchez, Lenny Castro, Karen Briggs), I can't choose one song to highlight, because each showcases Dianne's nuance and phrasing as a vocalist, and all play an integral part in the CD's overarching concept.



In my opinion, this is Dianne Reeve's best work to date. One word suffices to describe this woman and her work, that word is beauty."