Unpacking Baggage

Just going through my luggage, clearing out some things to make way for enlightenment

I am still flying from the events of last evening. I was privileged to, once again, experience the artistry of Dianne Reeves as she graced the stage of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. I first saw her live last year at Carnegie Hall and she gave me everything I needed.

I first became aware of her in the late 1980s during one of my many road trips to Georgia, while driving through DC. It was about 2 o'clock in the morning and everyone in the car was asleep. I was scanning radio stations while I still had the chance to hear good music. One thing that has always been true of Georgia trips is that once you reach a certain point in the journey, usually beyond Richmond, a good radio station becomes impossible to find. I can clearly recall trips from my childhood when cars were not equipped with tape or CD players. Some of the stuff we were forced to endure was nothing short of torture. But one magical night while rummaging the radio I caught a portion of Better Days. The song that propelled Dianne Reeves onto the charts.

Better Days is an ode to Reeves grandmother, with whom she spent a great deal of her childhood. During the chorus of the song as the background vocals instruct the lister to "be patient," Reeves quotes her grandmother by singing "you can't get to no better days unless you make it through the night." I was so touched by the song that I vowed to get it as soon as I reached a place that sold music. That hope was crushed when I rode out of frequency before finding out the artist or the name of the song. When I got back home, using possible titles constructed from lines of the song, I searched catalogs and indexes. When I finally searched using Better Days, I hit pay dirt. That was several months later.

When I finally got her self-titled debut, I was so so satisfied. I knew then that she was a diva. I started referring to her as little Sassy, likening her vocals to those of Sarah Vaughan, the voice of the 20th century. During last night's performance she sang That's All, the final selection on her first recording, a tune that Vaughan recorded at least three times during her career.

Her sophomore recording was Never Too Far, a CD I found to be just a bit eclectic. Certainly she displayed versatility on her debut, but it was very much a jazz CD. Never Too Far visited every genre from funk to folk. It was then I realized that Dianne Reeves doesn't record anything that she doesn't like. That CD ended with a tune called Company, a song written and recorded by Rickie Lee Jones in the late 70s. It was an oscure song that I had always loved. The fact that she covered it endured her to me and guaranteed that I would always support her work. Other highlights include Hello, Havent I Seen You Before, a funky danceable song recorded with the a capella group, Take 6 and Come In.

With her third recorded work, I Remember, she gave me the jazz album I wanted. Though she includes the title track by Sondheim, she's accompanied by brazilian musician, Dori Caymmi who helps her end the song with latin flava. The standard, For All We Know is the crowning touch on this amazing project.

I certainly won't go through her entire discography, even though I could. I have everything. I just want to say to anyone who hasn't experienced her, buy/steal a CD, download something or, if you get the opportunity, GO SEE HER!!! you will not be disappointed. For an amusing and accurate commenterry on last night's performance. Visit Texas Tiger Chronicles. He had a really good time.