Jazz: Dianne Reeves at Jazz at Lincoln Center

by August Cosentino

According to ancient legend, the first St Valentine’s Day celebration came about when Valentine, a third-century Roman saint, sent a letter to his daughter (“to his Valentine”) from his prison cell.

Which is why it seems more appropriate than ever that we rejoin Dianne Reeves for Saint Valentine’s Day, after the world’s two-year-long confinement, and Reeves’ own two-year hiatus from Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Recalling some of her own pandemic-era experiences  (“I sewed this!” she boasted, twirling about in her glittering gold dress), she discussed how her own two years off the grid helped her better appreciate solitude and nature—as her lovely rendition of Sondheim’s lesser-known “I Remember Sky” showed.

But Reeves’ primary message, as it has been since this writer started attending her jams back in the day, is love. Whether it was “Morning is Broken,” (Cat Stevens), “My Foolish Heart” (Bill Evans), or “A Time for Love” (Barbra Streisand), her program was a welcome antidote to the same-old, same-old Valentine’s Day paraphernalia.

Travel restrictions being what they are, you may never get to Rio de Janiero in the immediate future, but Reeves’ duets with Brazilian guitarist Romero Lubambo (“my brother from another mother,” she joked)—provide a worthy substitute.

Reeves’ finale of course was Rodgers and Hart’s “My Funny Valentine,” after  which she added “I’ll keep coming back (to JALC) as long as you keep asking me to.” Please, Ms. Reeves, won’t you please come back? Okay, done. Bet I

wasn’t the only one thinking that last night.