Off The Tracks

Off The Tracks
  • Blog
    • Interviews
    • Miscellany
    • Special Guests
    • Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • The Vinyl Countdown
  • Back Catalogue
  • About
    • About
    • About the banner image
    • On Song
June 10, 2017 by Simon Sweetman

Gig Review: Dianne Reeves (June 9, Wgtn)

Dianne ReevesHeadht

Opera House, Wellington

Friday, June 9

Dianne Reeves returned to New Zealand for this year’s Jazz Festival, first time for her wonderful band though – long-serving pianist Peter Martin and guitarist Romero Lubambo joined by the rhythm section of Reginald Veal (bass) and Terreon Gully (drums).

Reeves last visited New Zealand in 2010 as part of the International Arts Festival’s Nina Simone tribute – she was the star of the show. You get the feeling she’s always the star of the show; a towering presence within every song with a dynamic range, and huge heart and warmth in her demeanour and banter.

Photo by Stephen A’Court.

Photo by Stephen A’Court.

She started several of the songs with African-influenced vocalisms and Latin American-styled scatting – the band supple and subtle as they combined Afro-Caribbean flavours with taut reggae riddims; at one point Terreon Gully appeared to be “live-remixing” his own beat by playing the 1 and 2 on one side of the kit and then laying an echoed 3 and 4 on a deeper snare drum on the other side.

Several times I thought of that wonderful Erykah Badu Live album when listening to just the sound of the band. Particularly the dextrous, dynamic and spot-on rhythm work from Veal and Gully. Lubambo’s nylon-string runs were a highlight when

Photo by Stephen A’Court.

Photo by Stephen A’Court.

he was seated with the acoustic. And his Pat Metheny-like bubble and burst of electric-guitar sound was of course also wonderful.

Martin, the musical director, held it all together, his acoustic piano playing sublime – again the traces of Latin rhythms and flavours as well as a softer touch for the balladry.

And across it all Reeves’ voice. Huge and reminiscent of the greats such as Dinah Washington and Sarah Vaughan.

The buoyancy in the band’s musical style and approach was what made it for me. But they knew – for in fact it is there job – to never outshine the star. She deserved every bit of applause of course, it’s a perfect match – this band and that voice. And it was hard to complain, even when, occasionally, the lyrical sentiment was a bit too cheesy, a bit naff.

image001

Posted in Blog, Reviews and tagged with "Singer", 2017), Bass, Dianne Reeves, Drums, Gig Review, Gig Review: Dianne Reeves (June 9, Guitar, Jazz, Jazz Festival, June 9, Live Gig, Live Music, Opera House, Peter Martin, Piano, Reginald Veal, Romero Lubambo, Terreon Gully, The Opera House, Vocalist, Vocals, Wellington, Wgtn. RSS 2.0 feed.
« The Vinyl Countdown # 547
I Am Not Your Negro: DVD »

Popular

  • The Best Guitarist in The World: # 8 – Mark Knopfler
  • Janna Lapidus Leblanc: Four Years In Pictures
  • Sweetman Podcast: Episode 73 – Janna Lapidus Leblanc
  • The Sad Story of Bob Welch: Fleetwood Mac’s Most Undervalued Member
  • Tea With Terrorists: Theatre
  • The Best Guitarist in The World: # 11 – Lindsey Buckingham
  • Bring Concert Films Back To the Big Screen
  • Poem: Repeat
  • Neil Peart Was The World’s Most Overrated Drummer
  • A Very Benign And In-Character Midlife Crisis: I’m Back Buying CDs

Archives

Tags

Album Review Auckland Blog Book Book Review Chat Compilation DJ Drums DVD EP Film Film Review Gig Gig Review Guest Blog Guitar Interview Jazz Live Live Gig LP Movie Music NZ Podcast Poem Poetry Record Records Short Story Simon Sweetman Soundtrack Spotify Stub Stubs Sweetman Podcast The Vinyl Countdown Vinyl Want more? Check out my Substack You can also support Off The Tracks via PressPatron Wellington Wgtn Writing You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron [OST]

Categories

  • Back Catalogue
  • Blog
  • Interviews
  • Miscellany
  • Mixtapes
  • Playlists
  • Podcasts
  • Reviews
  • Scene Of The Day
  • Special Guests
  • The Vinyl Countdown

Off The Tracks is the home of Sweetman Podcast, a weekly interview/chat-based pod. It's also home to my reviews across film, TV, music and books and some creative writing as well.

Off The Tracks aims to provide quality reviews and essays, regular blog updates about the shows, albums, books and movies you should be experiencing.

It's a passion project. Your support will help to keep Off The Tracks online.

All content © 2022 by Off The Tracks. WordPress Themes by Graph Paper Press