Dianne Reeves to Perform at the South Orange Performing Arts Center
Five-time Grammy Award winner and preeminent Jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves brings her unique Jazz and R&B stylings to Yuletide favorites in Christmas Time is Here, presented at SOPAC on Saturday, December 7 at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $58-$78 and can be purchased at SOPACnow.org/dianne-reeves.
Upon the release of Reeves' holiday album, Christmas Time is Here, Ben Ratliff of The New York Times raved, "Ms. Reeves, a jazz singer of frequently astonishing skill, takes the assignment seriously; this is one of the best jazz Christmas CDs I've heard." Just a sampling of the beloved standards includes "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "Carol of the Bells" and "I'll Be Home for Christmas."
Reeves, who is acclaimed for her breathtaking virtuosity and improvisational prowess, was awarded the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Performance for three consecutive recordings - a Grammy first in any vocal category. One of those Grammys was for her performance on the soundtrack of Good Night, and Good Luck, George Clooney's six-time Academy Award nominated film.
In 2018, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) designated Reeves a Jazz Master, widely described as this country's highest honor for Jazz artists. That same year, she was the Monterey Jazz Festival's Showcase Artist and was the first woman to receive the festival's Jazz Legends Award. In addition, she is the recipient of honorary doctorates from Berklee College of Music and the Juilliard School.
The latest of Reeves' many recordings is Beautiful Life (2015 Grammy, Best Jazz Vocal Performance), produced by Terri Lyne Carrington and featuring Gregory Porter, Robert Glasper, Lalah Hathaway and Esperanza Spalding.
Reeves has recorded and performed with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. She also has recorded with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Daniel Barenboim, and was a featured soloist with Sir Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic. Reeves was the first Creative Chair for Jazz for the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the first singer to ever perform at the famed Walt Disney Concert Hall.
The singer worked with legendary producer Arif Mardin (Norah Jones, Aretha Franklin) on the Grammy-winning A Little Moonlight, an intimate collection of standards featuring her touring trio. In recent years, she has traveled the world in a variety of contexts, including "Sing the Truth," a musical celebration of Nina Simone, which also featured Lizz Wright and Angélique Kidjo. Reeves performed at the White House on multiple occasions, such as President Obama's State Dinner for the President of China and the Governors' Ball.
For her performance at SOPAC, Reeves will be accompanied by pianist Peter Martin, guitarist Peter Sprague, double bassist Reginald Veal and drummer Terreon Gully.
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