Become immersed in the sounds of the holidays this weekend with legendary songbird Dianne Reeves, who makes her Center for the Arts debut in听听on Saturday, December 4 at 8 p.m. For Reeves, this program in Fairfax is special. Not only does it mark her debut on the Center鈥檚 Concert Hall stage, but it will be her first holiday concert of the season, and she is excited to bring on the holiday cheer. The program features jazz-styled takes on such classical holiday songs as 鈥淟ittle Drummer Boy,鈥 鈥淐arol of the Bells,鈥 鈥淐hristmas Waltz,鈥 and 鈥淟et it Snow.鈥 In addition, she will be performing her favorite holiday song, 鈥淚鈥檒l Be Home for Christmas.鈥
As a young jazz rising star in the 1980s, she toured internationally with Brazilian musician Sergio Mendes and Harry Belafonte, who introduced her to West African and Indian rhythms. Her long and illustrious performance and recording career has garnered five GRAMMY awards and two honorary doctorates from the famed Berklee College of Music and The Juilliard School. She was the first vocalist to perform at the renowned Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. She has performed with Wynton Marsalis, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Berlin Philharmonic. In 2018, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) named Reeves a Jazz Master鈥攖he highest honor the United States confers on a jazz artist.
Born in Detroit and raised in Denver, Reeves was introduced to music by her family. Her father sang, her mother played trumpet, her uncle is bassist Charles Burrell, and her cousin is composer, singer-songwriter George M. Duke.
Reeves generously shared with us what she鈥檚 looking forward to about her upcoming performance at the Center and the importance of holiday music in her life.
How did music play a role in your family gatherings at the holidays?
REEVES:听It was the soundtrack of our lives. Music continued the festive environment of the holiday family gatherings 鈥 promoting singalongs, dancing, and all-around joy.
Do you have favorite songs that the holidays wouldn鈥檛 be complete without? Or that remind you of your family?
REEVES:听Most of my favorite holiday songs are on my Christmas album. The one that has the most meaning is "I鈥檒l Be Home for Christmas鈥. I left home early and was away a lot so this is song is especially sentimental. I now try my best to me home during the holidays.听
What are some of holiday inspirations that may have come from your travels around the world?
REEVES:听The greatest inspiration from my travels is that we鈥檙e more alike than different. Everyone loves gathering with family and friends during the holidays.
As you鈥檙e preparing for your upcoming concert at the Center for the Arts anything you鈥檙e particularly excited about performing that you鈥檇 like to share with our audiences?
REEVES:听This particular performance is the beginning of our season of holiday performances. The first show of the season is always special and we鈥檙e excited to provide some holiday cheer.
:听Saturday, December 4听at 8 p.m.听at the Center for the Arts.