Concert Review—

Jazz Great Diane Schuur Celebrates 25 Years With Caribbean Cruise

Story & Photos

By John Voket

If you’re a fan of two-time Grammy winner and jazz vocalist Diane Schuur, you might not necessarily expect to hear her belting out tunes by Duran Duran, James Taylor and Stevie Wonder backed by a Caribbean rhythm section. By the same token, fans of Spiro Gyra or the Caribbean Jazz Project may not be able to logically place Schuur’s four-octave fire siren of a voice in context with the sounds of these progressive, Latin-flavored acts.

But Schuur, always the innovator, is celebrating her 25th year in the music business by taking a Caribbean vacation. And she has returned from her island getaway with a boatload of new material incorporating the talents of traditional jazz and current pop artists with backing arrangements by members of the Caribbean Jazz Project.

Ms Schuur showcased most of her new album, Schuur Fire, during a stop at Fairfield University’s Quick Center last Saturday. It was the second stop within the state in less than a week.

During her 90-minute-plus set in Fairfield on March 19, Ms Schuur transitioned quite between new and old jazz standards backed by a smooth, savvy combo featuring her musical director Scott Steed on stand-up bass, as well as Reggie Jackson (no relation) on drums and Patrick lamb on sax.

(I have to mention, as an aside, that Mr Jackson provided one of the hottest drum solos I’ve ever seen, and he barely strayed from the snare during the entire six minutes, all this with brushes mind you.)

Then, about two-thirds through her set, the audience was let in on a huge surprise. The many jazz fans in the house let out an audible ripple of approval as Ms Schuur introduced another Grammy-winning jazz great: vibe and marimba player Dave Samuels who joined her on stage.

According to one of the house managers, Mr Samuels discovered he would be in the New York area the evening Ms Schuur was appearing in Fairfield, and he apparently had his vibes delivered to the Quick Center along with a request to appear beside the singer during her set.

Of course, having just wrapped production with Mr Samuels on her new project, Ms Schuur was happy to oblige. And from the looks of their interaction during the half-dozen numbers they performed together, it was more of an exercise in old-fashioned jazz improvisation than an established on stage collaboration.

As an aside to the introduction of several numbers, Ms Schuur could be overheard asking about tempos and other variations she instantly adapted from the set versions she learned and practiced with her three-piece combo. And everyone from the musicians to virtually everyone in the crowd could only smile and go along for the ride.

Besides the numbers from Schuur Fire that were performed with Mr Samuels, Ms Schuur also pleased the crowd with her own variations on tunes including “The Man I Love,” “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If it Ain’t Got That Swing),” “The Very Thought of You” and “Every Day I Have the Blues.”

Adding Mr Samuels to the mix helped Ms Schuur to stay loyal to the arrangements she performed from her new album. And improvised or not, she was right on track with renditions of “Lover Come Back To Me,” James Taylor’s “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight,” and “Close Enough for Love.”

The performance of latter, according to Ms Schuur, was the first time the song was ever played live, and the Quick Center audience showered Ms Schuur, Mr Samuels and the bad with appreciative, thunderous applause.

On her official website, www.DianeSchuur.com, Ms Schuur talks about her great experiences working besides Mr Samuels, Oscar Castro-Neves and the other members of the CJP.

“This was one of the most interesting, fun, creative projects I’ve ever done; it was simply very special, really close to my heart,” says Schuur. “It was really exciting to work with Oscar and the Caribbean Jazz Project. Everyone just had a blast.”

If her Fairfield University show, and her latest offering are any hint of what is still to come in her next 25 years this reviewer will continue to look forward to the musical genres as yet un tapped by this compelling and talented First Lady of Jazz.