E-mail a friendDianne Reeves
airdate December 2, 2004
Grammy-winning chanteuse Dianne Reeves has an international reputation, and her following has grown as she's crossed musical genres. Reeves was discovered by trumpeter Clark Terry while performing with her high school jazz band in Colorado. She later moved to California to pursue music full time. After doing session work and touring with Sergio Mendes and Harry Belafonte, she made her name in the late '80s. This year, Reeves releases her first holiday recording, 'Christmas Time Is Here.'
Dianne Reeves
Tavis: It is my pleasure to welcome multiple-Grammy-winning singer Dianne Reeves to the program. She is the only recording artist in Grammy history--get this--to win 3 consecutive awards in any singing category. Her latest project is here just in time for Christmas--Thankfully, a holiday disc called 'Christmas Time Is Here.' Later on, she'll perform one of the songs off the new CD. But first, it is my pleasure to welcome to this program Dianne Reeves. Happy holidays.
Dianne Reeves: Happy holidays to you. Nice to see you.
Tavis: Nice to see you. You got your red shoes on, I got my red tie on, so we got a little festive thing jumping here.
Reeves: Yeah, we're ready. Yes.
Tavis: Um, how difficult a challenge is it to do a CD like this, where you--in your own inimitable style--but you put a twist on the traditional sound of holiday music?
Reeves: Well, it was really something, because, um, first of all, you know, you hear all of these songs constantly, and you think, "How would I sing them?" And always you have your favorite versions of songs in your mind. But we went into the studio, and I have really great musicians. And friends of mine arranged some of the pieces for me, I arranged some, as well as my pianist, and we came up with a sound that was perfect for this record.
Tavis: What's a perfect sound for you? When you hear, um, the arrangement that has changed these classic tunes to the way that they appear on this CD, how did you know, "OK, that's gonna work"?
Reeves: Well, for me it has to be something that is, you know, very relaxing and gives me enough room to kind of change it from night to night, because I like the songs to really have a life each night that we perform them. And so, with the beautiful harmonies that inspire different things, you know, from night to night, it can have a different read. So, that's the thing that I love more than anything.
Tavis: Now, maybe that's part of a jazz artist's, um, temperament or idea about how they want their music to sound, because what you've just said, in many ways as you know, is antithetical to what the audience wants, because when the audience comes to hear Dianne Reeves and they're in the audience, they want to hear Dianne sing that song like she sang it on the record, but you want your stuff to sound different every night.
Reeves: I think my audience is used to me now--by now, 'cause, you know, I always tell 'em, "I don't remember how I sang it on the record, and tonight this is special. This is just for you. This is something that you're inspiring. So this is a performance for you, and when you want to hear it exactly like the record, put the record on." And it works. I mean, it's OK, because in a night, we have an amazing experience in music, and people don't know if they're listening to jazz or--They're listening to a whole lot of music without boundaries, and that's the way that I like it. At the same time, you know, as Bobby McFerrin would call it, we have "spontaneous inventions" where we take the music and build something else and create something, you know, right on the spot. So, I always like for the experience for the audience to be their own unique experience.
Tavis: Is that a good definition for you of jazz--a "spontaneous invention"?
Reeves: In a lot of ways, yes. And the art of being able to communicate to 3 musicians from night to night and make the music have a conversation and have a freedom and a spirit, you know, so that each night, it's something that is very, very special and very new and challenging. At the same time, it inspires each person, so we have this very intimate exchange onstage. Every night with the music, everybody's tools are in order so that we can take the music to different places.
Tavis: Here's a question that you can tell comes from a nonmusician, although I did take piano. I took piano lessons for a few years, played saxophone for a few years...-second-chair band in saxophone. I should have kept playing. I didn't. But here's a nonmusician question. When you in this group, this trio, performs here in just a few minutes or on any given night when you travel or perform around the world, how do you all communicate with each other if you're changing it every night, you're gonna try something a little different? I mean, other than the fact that you guys rehearse, but even still, in the moment, how do you, like, communicate to the drummer or to the pianist or to the bass player, "I'm gonna do something a little different. I'm gonna rift it," without turning around and saying, "I'm gonna do something different here," they still follow you?
Reeves: Well, we speak the language of music, and so what happens--It's no different than us having this conversation. I don't know what question you're going to ask me next, but I hope I'm able to answer it. And if I do, hopefully it'll stimulate something else, and you'll say something back to me. And that's exactly the way the music is. When you spend a lot of time together, especially with groups that do spend a lot of time--work together for a long time--you start to feel each other in a way like family, like kin, and you--you can almost, you know, know what the person is going to do next. Or if they do do something, you catch it, and it'll be right on, and it's really a very high experience.
Tavis: That was a very good answer to a very silly question, but thank you for indulging me on that. How does it make you feel, do you like or loathe the fact that no matter what you do, no matter how high you climb, for so many of your fans, you will al--you know where I'm going with this--you will always be known as the sister who sang the grandma song?
Reeves: Hey, my grandmother was a wonderful woman, so that's OK. You know, because one of the things that I believe in is stories. I think that stories are very important in our lives. Our live stories--life stories. And I always tell my audience, you know, that they should tell their stories, because I believe the stories are the fabric of your family. You know, keep us all together, and they keep a line of communication about those who have come before us. And my grandmother is very much alive in that song, and it's a story that I continue to sing. I wrote the song in 1978, and we've been singing it for a long time.
Tavis: And it still sounds as good as it did in 1978.
Reeves: But it still--it speaks to my life in a different way now, and it's still something that is very much a part of me, so I don't have any problem with people associating me with that.
Tavis: Speaking of stories, tell me right quick the story that I love so much of how you first met Sarah Vaughan. This is a great story. It's a great story.
Reeves: Well, at the time my cousin George Duke had been working with Cannonball Adderly, and he passed away, and they had this wonderful tribute to him at UCLA. And I was living--I'm from Denver, Colorado, so I was living in Denver. George had invited me out, and I was in high school. I was excited. And I had discovered Sarah Vaughan. Now, you have to understand that--
Tavis: That's news to me. Dianne Reeves discovered Sarah Vaughan. What?! No, I'm sorry. Go ahead.
Reeves: Well, I had all of these records, and she'd been singing for, like, 25 years when I found out who she was, you know. So I had all of these records that I was just eating up. Anyway, we're backstage at this tribute, and there was this woman sitting on a sofa. She looked really nice, so I went over and I said, "Hi. How are you?" And she says, "Hello. What is your name?" And I said, "Dianne." And she says, "Well, what do you do?" And I said, "I sing." She said, "Well, who do you listen to?" And I started telling her. I said, "I listen to Sarah Vaughan. Have you heard her when she sings--" And this woman is just looking at me. And it was her.
Tavis: Ha ha ha ha!
Reeves: And I had no idea.
Tavis: That's a great story. Well, let me assure you that if you ever run up on Dianne Reeves anywhere, take a good look at--Put that camera on her. There you go. Thank you, Jonathan. Take a good look at that face, you young performers. I don't want you to ever play yourself by walking up to Dianne Reeves and talking about how much you love this sister named Dianne Reeves who sings the grandma song, or for that matter, these new wonderful songs on this new 'Christmas Time Is Here' CD. So, since Dianne is here--And your trio's here with you?
Reeves: Yes, they are.
Tavis: Well, since they just happen to be here with you and since you just happen to be here and since we got a nice little setup over here, how about, say, performing something for us?
Reeves: Absolutely. That's not a problem.
Tavis: I like that. She's easy to get along with. See that? Up next, Dianne Reeves performs a Christmas song from her new CD. Stay with us for Dianne Reeves' performance. We'll be back in just a moment.
Tavis: From her new CD, 'Christmas Time Is Here,' here is Dianne Reeves singing 'Carol of the Bells.' Enjoy. Good night from Los Angeles, and keep the faith.
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