Five-time Grammy winner Dianne Reeves is among the world’s pre-eminent jazz vocalists. As a result of her breathtaking virtuosity, improvisational prowess and unique jazz and R&B stylings, Reeves received the Grammy for best jazz vocal performance for three consecutive recordings — a Grammy first in any vocal category.
Featured in George Clooney’s six-time Oscar-nominated “Good Night, and Good Luck,” Reeves won the best jazz vocal Grammy for the film’s soundtrack. Reeves has recorded and performed with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz 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 vocalist to ever perform at the now-famed Walt Disney Concert Hall. Reeves 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.
When Reeves’ holiday collection “Christmas Time Is Here” was released, 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.”
In recent years Reeves has toured the world in a variety of projects, including “Sing the Truth,” a musical celebration of Nina Simone, which also featured Lizz Wright and Angelique Kidjo. She performed at the White House on multiple occasions, including President Obama’s state dinner for the President Ji Xinping of China, as well as the Governors’ Ball. Reeves’ recent release “Beautiful Life,” features Gregory Porter, Robert Glasper, Lalah Hathaway and Esperanza Spalding. Produced by Terri Lyne Carrington, “Beautiful Life” won the 2015 Grammy for best jazz vocal performance.
Reeves is the recipient of honorary doctorates from the Berklee College of Music and the Juilliard School. In 2018, the National Endowment for the Arts designated Reeves as a Jazz Master, the highest honor the United States bestows on jazz artists.
Please note: Biographies are based on information provided to the CSO by the artists or their representatives. More current information may be available on websites of the artists or their management.
