I Remember

I remember a big summer jazz event titled Mt. Fuji Jazz Festival with Blue Note was once continuously carried out by Nippon TV in Japan. It started in 1986, inspired by the event of One Night With Blue Note. Various artists belonged to the reborn Blue Note label performed at the stage of nearby the lake Yamanaka in days and nights of the late August every years. Dianne Reeves has been featured as a main vocalist of this event in 1987, 1989, 1991, 1992, and 1995. She was mainly accompanied by the trio of Billy Childs, Chris Severin, and Billy Kilson at those times. Songs in this album were performed at those stages and have become very familiar to me.I remember Dianne Reeves published her second album from the Blue Note label titled The Nearness Of You in 1988, but this record was sold only in Japan. Five songs out of nine tunes in the I Remember come from the same sources of The Nearness Of You, which includes different version of The Nearness Of You/Misty performed with Mulgrew Miller, Charnett Moffet, and Terri Lyne Carrington, recorded in May 9, 1988. The lyrics slightly differs from this time version. She did not sing “look at me” at the very end of the tune in the 1988 recording. I like the new version. Opening of a duet with Chris Severin is quite remarkable.I remember Dianne Reeves re-recorded live versions of Afro Blue and Love For Sale for the album In The Moment: Live In Concert from Blue Note in 2000. They were performed with much more aggressive improvisational manner before the audience. In the I Remember version, Bill Summers and Luis Conte’s percussions are featured memorably in Afro Blue, while David Torkanowsky’s arrangement for Love For Sale being unforgettable.I Remember Sky moves us as the words of Stephen Sondheim being quite profound. Billy Childs’ piano walks closely along with Dianne, as if they have been long time partners in this life. Like A Lover is a duet play with Kevin Eubanks, which reminds me of Ella and Pass. Ron Powell’s wind chime rings impressively at the end. Charnett Moffett and Terri Lyne Carrington send out propulsive beat in How High The Moon. Dianne’s scat transports us to the times of Ella in Berlin.I remember I like the last two songs, You Taught My Heart To Sing and For All We Know, which Dianne sings restfully. All distinguished elements which characterize her singing appears here. You taught my heart to sing. You’re all I’ll keep remembering. The miracle of you will last my whole life through. The album ends with impressive alto solo by Greg Osby. I remember Dianne Reeves whole life through.

Dianne Reeves is superb on this album. The songs and her voice are haunting. I love this album!

excellent

I enjoyed her music. I like many types of music and hers was different for me, yet I enjoyed it.

I enjoy the CDs I bought. I love Dianne Reeves and Vanessa Rubin. The Meet Joe Black CD is most excellent and is great for walking meditation and easy listening. I am glad I bought it and have shared it with others.

Generally speaking not my taste. Bought for just one track - I remember. The rest left me feeling anti or indifferent, so I don't really have much to say.....

Her debut was a pairing of jazz standards and pop-flavored material, and her sophomore effort, the fabulous "Never Too Far," found her trying her hand at more R&B- and adult contemporary-flavored material. For her third release, "I Remember," Dianne Reeves takes us on a sentimental journey back in time to revisit some of her favorite standards.The most immediately impressive element of the record is song selection; common chestnuts like "The Nearness of You" and "For All We Know" make appearances, but songs like "Afro Blue" and "Softly in a Morning Sunrise" are lush affairs that aren't recorded nearly enough, and the versions Dianne renders are of the highest order. "Afro Blue" is especially striking, with its juxtaposition of African rhythms and backing vocals against a jazzy soprano sax and lush piano. The energy of the track is undeniable, and the grand finale, with tom-toms and Reeves' high register galore, will inspire goosebumps in any true fan of jazz. The Stephen Sondheim ballad "I Remember Sky" is a chance for Dianne to show off and her fans to indulge; the grace and beauty of her voice has never been more apparent as she masterfully handles the wistful lyric. "Love for Sale" gets treated to a stirringly soulful intro before turning into a classic uptempo standard, and the Brazilian classic "Like a Lover" is here turned into an elegant duet for Dianne and guitarist Kevin Eubanks.Throw in a unique reading of "How High the Moon" that goes from samba to swing and back again, as well as one of the most gorgeous readings of "You Taught My Heart to Sing" that you'll ever hear, and it's clear that we owe a debt to Dianne Reeves for authentically taking us back to a time that is sorely missed and isn't revisited nearly enough. "I Remember" will no doubt inspire many good memories of its own.

Any album of standards tends to make me raise a skeptical eyebrow. As a good friend of mine recently said to me: "Does the world really need another version of 'Love For Sale'?"My answer: normally, not really. But in this case, yes.In fact, "Love for Sale" is on this c.d. Ms. Reeves hits 3 emotional tones in the intro to the song alone. Whether purring or roaring, Ms. Reeves can effectively create emotion on a dime. And she likewise breathes new life into "How High the Moon," another old chestnut, by singing it to a funkified Latin beat. Likewise, her cover of the set-ender, "For All We Know", is gorgeous and a reminder that this is really a great song that isn't sung often enough.But what gets me in this set is her covers of obscure standards. IMO, her exquisite version of Stephen Sondheim's "I Remember Sky" is the highlight of the entire album. The Bergmans' "Like a Lover" is nearly that good; and McCoy Tyner's "You Taught My Heart to Sing" is a very sensitive read.A saddening thought about this album: This album was released on Blue Note in 1991, when Dianne Reeves wasn't very well known. If a talented, unknown singer like Ms. Reeves were to approach Blue Note today, this album wouldn't be made (at least not by them). Blue Note has gone for the bucks; they are more interested in Al Green or Van Morrison than in neophyte jazz singers. That's not how it used to be. Albums like this used to be made. Ours is poorer for the loss. RC

Fabulous singer whom I only got to hear at the Proms this year. Don't know how I missed out on such a singer. CD is great and I am sure I'll be buying many more of hers. Amazing bargain, the post cost more!! Definitely recommend this CD.

We bought this album for one track which we heard on the TV delighted to find that the whole album is excellent.

Wie alle meine bisherigen neuen Blue Note Platten, ist auch diese hier klanglich fantastisch. Diese Auflösung, Tiefe und zugleich Nebengeräuscharmut wünschte ich mir als Standard auch bei jeder Vinyl-Veröffentlichung anderer Labels, das wird aber leider nur ein frommer Wunsch bleiben. Der einzige Wermutstropfen ist die starre Papphülle, da haben sie schon ein audiophiles Kleinod und gefährden es derart. Ich habe auf nahezu jeder LP Klebe- und Papierreste gehabt, sie ließen sich zwar durch Waschen entfernen, es fällt mir jedoch ehrlich gesagt scher zu glauben, dass niemand daran denkt. Und würde ich die Innenhülle nicht vorsichtig aufschneiden, müsste ich befürchten, dass ich die Platte möglicherweise an der Pappe zerkratze. Dazu gibt es noch ein 320 kb/s mp3 Downloadvoucher und das alles zu einem guten Preis, deswegen nur einen Punkt Abzug wegen der Innenhülle, das Problem ist hinlänglich bekannt, Vinyl ist ja schließlich nicht erst seit gestern auf dem Markt und bei Kratzern wäre der Ärger schließlich groß.

Musikalisch sowie soundtechnisch , kann man über diese Wiederveröffentlichung nicht meckern .Gut dass diese Lp ( in dieser Form ) wieder erhältlich ist .Ich kann allerdings nicht verstehen , warum bei der Innenhülle gespart wird !?Bei einer nicht gefütterten Hülle entstehen ,beim ersten Herausnehmen schon Kratzer !Auf einen Download -Code könnte ich verzichten !Ich kaufe mir Musik auf Vinyl , weil analoge Platten ( für meine Ohren ) besser klingen !!.

Packaged well and received early. Great jazz album release of a great voice.