By Andrew Poretz***Jazz singer extraordinaire Dianne Reeves and her band appeared for a two-night Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) stint at Rose Hall for her customary Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) Valentine’s Day show, With Love. The five-time Grammy Award winner was accompanied by the quartet of John Beasley (piano, keyboard, melodica), Reuben Rogers (bass), Terreon Gully (drums) and Romero Lubambo (guitar).
With a bouquet of roses on the piano, the setting was established for a romantic Valentine’s Day mood. The band opened the evening with a fiery instrumental, playing Reeves on to the stage wherein she began with a lively “What’s New?” (Bob Haggart, Johnny Burke). Reeves’ voice is a wonder: a rich, slightly smoky, yet buttery contralto bottom with a high range, with masterful control. She scats when the mood strikes. She puts her hands and body into her singing, as if playing an instrument. Throughout the single set (there was no intermission), her connection to her fans was strong and warm. A mid-song musical sermon assured everyone that “We are in safe space.” When she invited a call-and-response with the audience, she challenged them with complex riffs, which were responded to on pitch by the sophisticated crowd.
Reeves, clearly concerned about the state of affairs in the world, peppered her patter with homilies. Sitting down, she said, “We’re gonn
a make it through this craziness.” A positively dreamy take on “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life” (Michel Legrand, Alan and Marilyn Bergman) had a gorgeous arrangement with outstanding voicings. Reeves’ phrasing and emotional connection was exceptional here. A tremendously emotional moment came with Reeves’ homage to the late guitarist Russell Malone on “Social Call” (Gigi Gryce,Jon Hendricks), which she’d recorded with Malone. She performed this accompanied solely by world-class guitarist Romero Lubambo on his semi-hollow body guitar; the tone and style are reminiscent of the late guitar great, Larry Coryell. On a number Reeves announced as “Us,” Lubambo switched to a Spanish guitar, which gave the song much beauty and intimacy.The wistful “Somone to Watch Over Me” (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) was turned entirely on its head as a defiant declaration, rather than a plea. The jazz-soul arrangement made the tune close to unrec
ognizable, yet spectacular.
Reeves noted, “I feel like I’m in my living room” and wanted to remove her shoes. When someone implored her to do so, she took them off. If the concert consisted of only one song, the final piece would have been worth the entire ticket price. Scatting to a riff started by bassist Reuben Rogers, Reeves and the band seemed to be ad libbing an entire song on the spot, though it was actually a fairly free-form improvisation around “All Blues” (Miles Davis). Each player picked up the vibe in turn. Rogers was magnificent throughout this number, with a playful Reeves freely scatting.
When Reeves et al left the stage, she garnered a five-minute standing ovation, before she and the band returned for a brief coda to “All Blues” as an encore. Then, despite walking off a second time, and with some audience members exiting, Reeves made a surprise reappearance with Lubambo for one of her signature songs, “You Taught My Heart to Sing,” (McCoy Tyner, Sammy Cahn), a fitting Valentine’s Day gift to a grateful audience.
Photos of Dianne Reeves by Gilberto Tadday/Jazz at Lincoln Center
Photo of roses by Andrew Poretz
