When she wants to sing jazz,
Dianne Reeves has always had the ability to reach the top of her field, but she has long seemed unable to make up her mind between jazz, R&B, world music, and pop. This Blue Note disc fortunately finds her mostly sticking to jazz and in consistently superb form.
Reeves' treatments of such numbers as "Afro Blue" (which is particularly memorable), "Love for Sale," "Softly As in a Morning Sunrise," "How High the Moon," and
McCoy Tyner's "You Taught My Heart to Sing" all border on the classic. Joined by such illustrious sidemen as pianists
Billy Childs,
Mulgrew Miller, and Donald Brown; bassists
Charnett Moffett and
Chris Severin; and drummers
Billy Kilson and
Marvin "Smitty" Smith, plus guest appearances by vibraphonist
Bobby Hutcherson, altoist
Greg Osby, and guitarist
Kevin Eubanks,
Reeves sounds inspired by the company. If only she would stick to this direction. Highly recommended. ~ Scott Yanow