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Soooooo sweet! I love jazz, especially the stylings of swingin' singers such as Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, and similarly silken virtuosos of the craft. So how is it possible that I was unfamiliar with the incredible Dianne Reeves before sliding Christmas Time Is Here onto my audio system? She is dynamite, and she should have been firmly planted on my radar screen. After all, her first three albums won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album, and she is the only singer to have accomplished this feat in any genre. Ms. Reeves, I know you now, and your name and voice will not escape me again.

This is a brilliant jazz Christmas offering on every level: there are 11 holiday numbers, and Reeves owns every one of them. The songs are largely familiar, yet wholly different on her lips. Reeves is like (the young) Vaughn and Fitzgerald, but her vocal intonations are warmer and less edgy. The mood remains relatively mellow throughout--whether melancholy or upbeat.

Christmas Time Is Here is no big band affair; instead, this is an intimate jazz ensemble. The instrumentation is just right--never overstated--and provides the perfect framework for Reeves. Her longtime trio of pianist Peter Martin, bassist Reuben Rogers, and drummer Greg Hutchinson provide the core foundation, but Reeves does enjoy occasional, additional support from guitar (Romero Lubambo), saxophone (Steve Wilson), vibraphone (Joe Locke), percussion (Munyungo Jackson), and even a string quartet (the Sirius String Quartet). The package is subtle and superb.

So many jewels on this CD! This makes picking favorites an almost absurd notion. The opening "Little Drummer Boy," with its minimal, yet dramatic, percussive flourishes, grabs the listeners from the first moment. Both Reeves' voice and the drums swell in intensity as the song moves forward, then they playfully retreat near the end. "Carol of the Bells" is a jazzy delight, with lovely vibraphone and sax solos. The title cut, "Christmas Time Is Here," demonstrates a subdued, but intense, beauty. Reeves' rendition of "Christmas Waltz" is the best I have ever heard; her voice seems to pop right off the track, with some clever scat singing and a wonderful guitar solo thrown in. Her "I'll Be Home for Christmas" has a gentle, samba soul. "Christ Child's Lullaby" is flat out gorgeous--not really jazz at all, but an acoustic gem with Reeves' priceless voice underscored by guitar and a string quartet. "Let It Snow" bursts on the scene with scat-alicious "Sha do be do." And so it goes--each song has its own special and unique pleasures.

Christmas Time Is Here is an exceptionally strong holiday offering. Although this remarkable album has undeniable appeal for jazz lovers everywhere, its accessibility makes it a top choice well beyond hard-core jazz aficionados. Bravo, Dianne Reeves!

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2004)

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From the liner notes:

Personnel:
Dianne Reeves: vocals
Peter Martin: piano (except 1, 7, 11)
Reuben Rogers: bass (except 7)
Greg Hutchinson: drums (except 7)
Romero Lubambo: guitar (on 4-8, 11)
Steve Wilson: saxophone (on 2, 4, 8)
Joe Locke: vibraphone (on 2)
Munyungo Jackson: percussion (on 1 & 6)
Sirius String Quartet (Meg Okura, violin; Gregor Huebner, violin; Ron Lawrence, viola; Dave Eggar, cello)(on 7)

Produced by Dianne Reeves and Peter Martin.

Arrangements:
Dianne Reeves/Peter Martin (6 & 8)
Peter Martin (3, 9-10)
Romero Lubambo (4, 5, 11)
Dianne Reeves/Greg Hutchinson/Reuben Rogers (1)
Romero Lubambo/Peter Martin (7)
Nicholas Payton (2)

Recorded May 26-29, 2004 at Bennett Studios, Englewood, NJ.
Mixed May 31 - June 2, 2004 at Dogmatic Studios, Burbank, CA.
Mastered June 23, 2004 at Dave Collins Mastering, Los Angeles, CA.

From the promotional materials:

Vocalist Dianne Reeves releases her first-ever holiday CD, "Christmas Time Is Here," on Blue Note Records&. The 11-song collection features Reeves' longtime trio of pianist Peter Martin, bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Greg Hutchinson. Special guests include guitarist Romero Lubambo, saxophonist Steve Wilson, vibraphonist Joe Locke and the Sirius String Quartet.

Reeves has won the Grammy Award for "Best Jazz Vocal Album" for each of her past three records& making her the only singer in any genre to have achieved the consecutive "Best Album" trifecta.

With "Christmas Time Is Here," Reeves has made her most accessible record in years, a recording so musical and so completely pleasurable that it falls into that rare category of Christmas records--simply, a great record.

"I love Christmas," says Reeves, "I love being with my family during the holiday season, and yet I'm all too often performing out-of-town during that time of year. Last year Christmas was spent on a stage in Tokyo. This year, I decided I wanted to be in others hearts and homes, and at the same time--stay at home!"

Dianne Reeves

Christmas Time Is Here

Artist link

Track List