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Dianne
Reeves
I Remember
By Steven Fullwood
Arguably,
this album marks Dianne Reeves first foray into contemporary jazz and
only jazz. I Remember is a supreme album of standards that affirms her
as a major player in any genre. Known at this time as a sort of Janus,
the Roman god often depicted with two faces opposite the other, Reeves
had endured more than enough criticism as a singer dabbling in soul
and jazz, even gospel - hardly impressive to jazz purists. Yet those
very same purists hailed I Remember that pays homage to those
traditions that Reeves has gone on to hone to excellent effect.
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"Afro Blue" kicks off the
9-song set where our singer keeps time with an African-cum-Latin
rhythm, driven by a bass line, replete with emotional chants.
Interestingly, this song doesn't represent the album as a whole.
Another standout, "Love for Sale," explodes with passion,
right from its opening bar until the song's end. Yet the majority of I
Remember radiates calm, suitable for a lazy afternoon in the sun.
Classic tunes like "Like a Lover" are rendered with an
acoustic guitar, and "You Taught My Heart To Sing" carried
primarily by piano, enchants and delights.
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However it is the title song, the
emotional centerpiece for the album, that shows Reeves at her very
best. She gently coaxes the song out its shell and into the light, and
caresses each line as if it were a newborn babe. The song haunts the
listener long after the record ends. It is an accomplishment that few
artists can claim.
M
June 2002 |
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