Dianne Reeves Joins the Colorado Symphony for a Night of ‘stories and love and foot-tapping music of all kinds’
By Kyle Kirves
“When I grew up, I never heard genre words with regards to music,” says five-time Grammy-winning jazz vocalist and Denverite Dianne Reeves. “You just heard music. People played wonderful records of all kinds. We did everything to music in our household. My uncle and great aunt and several cousins were musicians. Yet even if you didn’t make your money from it, it was part of your life. It was a livelihood, yes, but also a lifestyle.”
It’s in that spirit of musical fluidity that Reeves returns home to perform with the Colorado Symphony, the latest in a series of collaborations between the jazz master and the Centennial State's marquee symphony. It’s a partnership that she looks forward to every time they get together, yet this performance in particular seems especially welcomed. “This time, we’re coming out of lockdown. People are starting to venture out to concerts. They’re open and ready and everyone is very excited about that,” Reeves says.
“It’s also a chance to work with my very dear friend, conductor Vincent Mendoza, who is extraordinary. We’ll be doing things in this performance that we’ve done elsewhere all over the world but never done here,” Reeves adds.
The timing is also special to Reeves because of the Symphony and the City of Denver’s December 2021 salute and tribute to her uncle, musical icon Charles Burrell, whose portrait now adorns Boettcher Concert Hall. Burrell was the first black musician to perform with the Denver Symphony before it became the Colorado Symphony. His name also will be on the Charles Burrell Visual and Performing Arts School in Aurora next fall. “My uncle Charles worked with the symphony for many, many years,” Reeves recalls, “and when I was a student at CU I would often go down to listen to them practice during my lunch breaks.”
Because of the pandemic, rehearsals and other details leading up to the Colorado Symphony performance have been challenging. It’s a process that is full of moving parts and coordination during normal times given all of the musicians involved. But Reeves and the other musicians are up to the challenge. “We’ve already sent the music to the orchestra and me and my band are working through a few things. We’ll get together for a couple of days before the performance and then it’s time to go!” she says enthusiastically. When asked what makes the music itself so dynamic and interesting, she says “jazz music is in everything. It is the music of improvisation and conversation. It is a living art form that is always in the moment, without limits or boundaries.”
Reeves, who has performed with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Berlin Philharmonic, and whose work in George Clooney’s film “Good Night and Good Luck” secured her one of her five Grammys, is widely considered to be the pre-eminent jazz vocalist on the world stage. Yet, performing in Denver remains special to her. Of singing for and with her home team, Reeves says, “This is the grand one. All of the musicians coming together and making the music happen and all that beautiful sound. We’re all ready to stretch a bit. And there’s nothing like being at home and having a show for people who have supported you all your life.”
Without giving away some of the surprises, Reeves says the concert (slated for 7:30 p.m. Feb. 19 at Boettcher Concert Hall in Denver) promises to be one of “stories and love and foot-tapping music of all kinds. And of course, they’ll be some Valentine’s Day favorites.”
A veritable ambassador for the vibrancy and relevancy of Denver’s musical legacy to worldwide audiences, Reeves says that as a performer, she is happiest when performing. “It’s great to be home in Denver and still doing it.”
We cannot think of a grander homecoming than Dianne Reeves performing with the Symphony, one that seems almost like a family reunion.