DIANNE REEVES
Good Night, and Good Luck Soundtrack

Concord

Here is the skinny: Dianne Reeves is the best traditional jazz singer going right now. By pegging Reeves as traditional, I am by no means implying limitation or a lack of contemporaneousness. What I mean is that Reeves is able to present herself as a straight-ahead jazz singer and not invite a plethora of comparisons with classic singers of the era. Oh sure, there are elements of Sarah Vaughn and Betty Carter that surface in her sytlings, but one never listens for long with this in mind. Reeves effortlessly does what many popular vocalists cannot—she swings at all times. Add to that her clear, sailing contralto voice, and her superior phrasing, and you have an unbeatable combination.

George Clooney in Good Night, and Good Luck

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One thing you can say about Reeves: she does not approach the standards catalog by throwing off a bunch of rehashed versions of popular songs. She often goes against the grain by performing tunes usually rendered in uptempo fashion as ballads, and sometimes vice versa. That apparently made her the perfect choice to be featured on the soundtrack (and in the film as well) of George Clooney’s new film Good Night, and Good Luck, about the confrontation between U.S. Senator Joe McCarthy and broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow. Reports are that Clooney, the nephew of cabaret and jazz singer Rosemary Clooney, hand picked each song for this soundtrack, and Reeves delivers the goods with a CD of performances that stands on its own and should be a welcome addition to the collections of the singer’s many fans.

Reeves opens with a ballad version of “Straighten Up and Fly Right” that is right on the money and alerts the listener that they won’t be hearing the same old thing. After the intro featuring Reeves and pianist Peter Martin, bass and drums join in for a slow burn groove that allows Reeves to sing a smoky, steamy version of the lyric. Matt Catingub provides tenor interludes that straddle both the R&B honkers and the smooth, Lester Young jump-style players. Catingub is the son of vocalist Mavis Rivers, and is no stranger to this style of jazz—he worked with Rosemary Clooney as well. “Too Close For Comfort” has the easy swing of a pair of well-worn favorite slippers, not just comfortable, but comforting. “How High the Moon,” the bebop anthem, is given a deeply romantic reading, with both Martin and Catingub helping deepen the song’s mood.

There are uptempo numbers, like Walter Donaldson’s “You’re Driving Me Crazy,” which shows that while Reeves has lots of chops as a singer, she’s far to classy a performer to overemphasize her technique. “TV is the Thing This Year” is another uptempo number. While it’s a bluesy R&B song, Reeves gives it a jazz reading that might seem a tad restrained to some. The band swings it hard, though, and Reeves makes her point without any histrionics. And the mambo version of “Pick Yourself Up” bring Rosemary Clooney and Peggy Lee to mind, even as one appreciates Reeves’ original touches.

Reeves closes with a suitably weary rendition of “One for My Baby,” a song that will forever be associated with Frank Sinatra. Dianne sticks pretty close to the vibe and style that Sinatra laid down. It’s a logical conclusion to this fine disc that, although a soundtrack, deserves to become a widely heard classic jazz vocal album on its own strengths.