Jazz musicians have notoriously looked down their noses at country music as simplistic and sentimental, but even Charlie Parker was attracted to its down-to-earth storytelling.
No surprise, then, that another down-to-earth jazz artist, vocalist and pianist Diane Schuur, has a jones for Nashville, too.
What is astonishing, however, is that after nearly 20 jazz albums, the Auburn-raised diva has released an entire disc of classic country songs.
"A few months ago I was watching the Country Music Awards and I thought, 'Hey, let's change direction, even at the risk of having the jazz police a little bit irritated," explained Schuur by phone this week from her home near Los Angeles.
"The Gathering" (Vanguard) — with heartbreakers such as "Why Can't He Be You" and "Nobody Wins" — is one of the finest albums the 57-year-old singer has ever made.
Schuur performs material from the disc — along with her usual jazz standards — Thursday through Sunday at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley.
Full on: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/musicnightlife/2015464007_schuur30.html?syndication=rss
0 Comments:
Post a Comment