In the wake of the sometimes uneven live album In the Moment, Diane Reeves returns in exceptional form with a concept album, The Calling: Celebrating Sarah Vaughan. A tribute to one of jazz's legendary heroines, The Calling catches the many moods of the singer who became known simply as Sassy, delving into songs the jazz great popularized, including "Lullaby of Birdland" and "Send in the Clowns." On "Lullaby," Reeves summons Sassy's ghost with familiar phrasing and a majestic, powerful delivery. But it is on the lesser-known Vaughan numbers that Reeves really excels, making the standards her own. "Obsession" was recorded by Vaughan on her final album, 1987's Brazilian Romance. Reeves explores the emotional vehicle like an eagle, soaring grandly over surging orchestral accompaniment.
Known to most as Dianne Reeves' musical director, pianist Peter Martin takes her stellar touring trio on a musical journey through jazz's heartland on In the P.M.; guest vocalist Erin Bode adds a warm and welcome lyricism to the session. Familiar standards and fresh originals turn the trio loose with unbridled energy.