Dianne came from a very musical family. Her father, who died when she was two years old, was also a singer. Her mother, Vada Swanson, played trumpet. A cousin, George Duke is a well known piano and keyboard player and producer.
Dianne and her sister Sharon were raised by their grandmother in Denver, Colorado. As a child Dianne took piano lessons and sang at every opportunity. When she was 11 years old her interest in music was enhanced by an inspiring teacher who thought that music was the best way to bring students together. Dianne discovered a love of music and that she wanted to be a singer.
Her uncle, Charles Burell, a bass player with the Denver Symphony Orchestra, introduced her to the music of jazz singers, from Ella Fitzgerald to Billie Holiday. She was especially impressed by Sarah Vaughan.
1974
At the age of sixteen she was singing at the George Washington Highschool in Denver, in a highschool bigband. That same year the band played at a music festival (Convention of the National Association of Jazz Educators). Her Band won first place and it was there she met the trumpeter Clark Terry, who after discovering her became her mentor.
1975
A year later she began studying music at the University of Denver, before she moving in 1976 to Los Angeles. In L.A. her interest in Latin-American music grew, and she began experimenting with different kinds of vocal music and finally decided to pursue a career as a singer. She met Eduardo del Barrio, and she toured with his group "Caldera" and sang in Billy Child's jazz band "Night Flights". Later she tour with Sergio Mendes.
From 1983 until 1986 she toured with Harry Belafonte as a lead singer. This period saw her first experiences with world music. In 1987 she became the first vocalist to sign with Blue Note records. She moved back to Denver from Los Angeles in 1992. She sang at the closing ceremony of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City.
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Grammy Awards
She has currently won 3 Grammy Awards for "Best Jazz Vocal Performance" for her albums
2001 In the Moment
2002 The Calling
2003 A Little Moonlight
2006 Good Night, And Good Luck (Soundtrack)
She is the only singer to have won this Grammy in three consecutive years.
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Discography
1977 - Welcome to My Love
1987 - Better Days
1988 - I Remember
1990 - Never Too Far
1991 - Dianne Reeves (same as Better Days)
1993 - Art & Survival
1994 - Quiet After the Storm
1996 - The Grand Encounter
1996 - Palo Alto Sessions
1997 - That Day
1997 - New Morning (live)
1999 - Bridges... produced by George Duke.
2000 - In The Moment (live)
2001 - The Calling: Celebrating Sarah Vaughan
2002 - Best of Dianne Reeves
2003 - A Little Moonlight
2004 - Christmas Time is Here
2005 - Good Night, And Good Luck (Soundtrack)
Midnight Sun
Dianne Reeves Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Warmer than a summer night
But clouds were like a alabaster palace
Rising to a snowing height
Each star its own aura borealis
Suddenly you held me tight
And I could see the midnight sun
Or was that a moonlight vale
The music of the universe surround me
Or was it that a nightingale
And then your arms miraculously found me
Suddenly the sky turned pale
And I could see the midnight sun
Was there ever such a night
Its a thrill I still don't quite believe
But after you were gone
There was still some stardust on my sleeve
The flame of it may twiddle to remember
And the stars forget to shine
And we may see a meadow in December
I see white and crystal light
But oh my darling ill always remember
When your lips were close to mine
And we saw the midnight sun
The flame of it may twinkle like
An amber in the stars forget to shine
And we may see a meadow in December
I see white and crystal light
But oh my darling ill always remember
When your lips were close to mine
And we saw the midnight sun
We saw the midnight sun
I can see the midnight sun, yeah
What a weekend
In Dianne Reeves's song "Midnight Sun," the lyrics describe a memorable romantic encounter. The song opens by comparing the person's lips to a "red and ruby chalice" that is "warmer than a summer night." However, this image is quickly disrupted by "clouds," described as "an alabaster palace," that rise to great heights. Despite this sudden change in imagery, the singer is comforted by the beauty of the "borealis" created by the stars. Then, the singer's partner holds them tight, leading them to see the "midnight sun."
The following verse is more ambiguous. The singer describes a ring or a "moonlight vale," but it's unclear what this image refers to. The music of the universe surrounds the singer, and then the singer is found in their partner's arms. The sky turns pale, which could suggest the coming of dawn or daylight. Gradually, the memories from the night start to fade, but the singer will always remember the warmth of their partner's lips and the sight of the "midnight sun."
Overall, the lyrics of the song seem to describe a fleeting moment of romance that is particularly special because it does not seem like it will last. The "midnight sun" is a particularly resonant image because it represents something that is both beautiful but ephemeral. The song seems to be urging the listener to hold on to these precious moments when they happen, even if they cannot last forever.
Line by Line Meaning
Your lips were like a red and ruby chalice
Your lips were beautiful and inviting, like a precious vessel filled with red and ruby gems.
Warmer than a summer night
Your lips felt even warmer than a pleasant summer night.
But clouds were like a alabaster palace
The clouds in the sky were like a grand and majestic palace made of white alabaster.
Rising to a snowing height
The clouds were rising high up into the air, almost as if they were reaching a snow-capped peak.
Each star its own aura borealis
Every star in the sky was shining so brightly, they formed beautiful and colorful auroras around themselves.
Suddenly you held me tight
Suddenly, you wrapped your arms tightly around me.
And I could see the midnight sun
In that moment, I was able to see the beautiful and rare sight of the midnight sun.
I cant explain the silver ring that found
I cannot quite explain the shimmering silver ring that I saw.
Or was that a moonlight vale
Perhaps it was simply a misty valley illuminated by the bright moonlight.
The music of the universe surround me
It felt as if I was enveloped by the beautiful and harmonious music of the entire universe.
Or was it that a nightingale
Or perhaps it was simply a nightingale singing its beautiful song nearby.
And then your arms miraculously found me
And just like magic, your arms somehow found their way around me once again.
Suddenly the sky turned pale
All of a sudden, the sky seemed to lose its color and become pale.
Was there ever such a night
I wonder if there was ever a night as beautiful and magical as this.
Its a thrill I still don't quite believe
Even now, I am still amazed and thrilled by what happened that night.
But after you were gone
But even after you left.
There was still some stardust on my sleeve
I still had some stardust on my sleeve, perhaps as a reminder of that night.
The flame of it may twiddle to remember
The memory of that night's flame may flicker or fade with time.
And the stars forget to shine
And even the stars may forget to shine as brightly as they did that night.
And we may see a meadow in December
Perhaps we will see a meadow even in the cold month of December.
I see white and crystal light
I see a serene and pure light shining brilliantly, almost like crystal.
But oh my darling ill always remember
But my love, I will always remember that magical night we shared.
When your lips were close to mine
When our lips were so close that I could almost feel your warmth on my skin.
And we saw the midnight sun
And we were able to witness firsthand the beauty of the midnight sun.
We saw the midnight sun
Together, we saw the midnight sun in all its glory.
I can see the midnight sun, yeah
Even now, I can still vividly see the beautiful and rare sight of the midnight sun in my mind.
What a weekend
This was truly an unforgettable and incredible weekend.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Johnny Mercer, Lionel Hampton, Sonny Burke
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind