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Diane Schuur

Nicknamed "Deedles" as a child (her mother's endearment), Tacoma-born Schuur grew up steeped in traditional American jazz, courtesy of both parents: David Schuur was a local police captain and amateur pianist, and Joanie Schuur kept a formidable collection of Duke Ellington and Dinah Washington albums in their suburban-Seattle home.

Not surprisingly, Dinah Washington is often listed as Schuur's major vocal influence. She learned the iconic singer's "What a Difference a Day Makes" while still a toddler and began developing her own rich, resonant vocal style. Jazziz Magazine describes her approach as one that encompasses her whole lifetime of singing: "Schuur's vocal chops move from little-girl innocence to bawdy-mama blues in a hair's breadth, but always at the service of the song." Schuur is also an accomplished pianist, accompanying herself onstage as well as on many of her recording projects.

Her most recent album is an homage to two of her important mentors, both jazz giants: Frank Sinatra and Stan Getz. I Remember You (With Love To Stan and Frank), released in 2014, also commemorates her "official" discovery by towering sax virtuoso Getz at the 1979 Monterey Jazz Festival. "She's consistently combined fine artistic efforts with the pizazz of an entertainer and held sway in both concert halls and small clubs," observed All About Jazz's Victor L. Schermer in his rave review. "Her style incorporates both subtle jazz interpretation and the power of rhythm and blues."

I Remember You finds Schuur in an intimate setting, surrounded by her quintet, with compositions both understated and sophisticated. Featuring all-new arrangements by Grammy winner Alan Broadbent, the material blossoms under Schuur's improvisational scatting and deeply poignant delivery. I Remember You is Schuur's 24th album, and what is evident throughout, is the musical wisdom and innate grace she has continued to evolve, all through her expansive, 40-plus-year career.

That much-laureled career includes two Grammy Awards—- each for Best Jazz Vocal Performance—-on Timeless (1986) and Diane Schuur and The Count Basie Orchestra (1987). Both were released by GRP Records, the label that had launched her recording career. Schuur scored three additional Grammy nominations for subsequent albums Pure Schuur and Love Songs, as well as for the individual track "The Christmas Song."

Her music has explored almost every locale on the American musical landscape, and her attendant studio collaborations—-showcasing Schuur's pitch-perfect execution and crystalline, three-and-a-half-octave vocal range—-are a who's who of superstellar American originators in a plethora of styles. They include the albums Heart To Heart with B.B. King and Swingin' for Schuur" with Maynard Ferguson, alongside assorted tracks with Stan Getz, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Alison Krauss, Vince Gill, Mark Knopfler, Jose Feliciano, and Karrin Allyson, among countless others.

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Radio & Podcasts

Joy And Wonder - More Holiday Releases

Read "Joy And Wonder - More Holiday Releases" reviewed by Mary Foster Conklin


This broadcast presents more Christmas goodness to savor, with new holiday releases from from Chris Ruggiero, Sarah Partridge, Sweet Megg and Joe McCarthy's New York Afro Bop Alliance Big Band, plus birthday shoutouts to Dave Brubeck and Diane Schuur, among others. Thanks for listening and please support the artists you hear by purchasing their music during this time of pandemic so they can continue to distract, comfort, provoke and inspire. Playlist Jeff Hamilton Trio “Caroling Caroling" from Merry ...

1
In Pictures

Diane Schuur at the American Theater

Read "Diane Schuur at the American Theater" reviewed by Mark Robbins


Add to pianist/vocalist Diane “Deedles" Schuur's, resume comedian as she had the audience of a little over a hundred in stitches during her stories between songs. Whether it was about flying first class years ago for the free booze, (she's been sober for 33 years, a feat she is, and should be, extremely proud of), landing at an airport earlier in the day in jny:Norfolk, VA (a city whose name has been mispronounced since the Navy took over the town ...

3
Radio & Podcasts

Diane Schuur, Scott Joplin, Carmen Lundy and More!

Read "Diane Schuur, Scott Joplin, Carmen Lundy and More!" reviewed by Joe Dimino


This week we open with Jazz legend Diane Schuur who shares how she is living with the COVID-19 jazz shutdown and talks about her new upcoming CD Running on Faith. Prior to the silence of live jazz, we caught up with Jae Sinnett to discuss a rich life in music and his latest album. Enjoy the show. Playlist Diane Schuur “Something so Right" Running on Faith (Jazzheads) 00:00 Host talks 6:06 Joe Harnell “Alley Cat'" Golden Piano Hits ...

3
Album Review

Diane Schuur: Running on Faith

Read "Running on Faith" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey


Pianist and vocalist Diane “Deedles" Schuur and Wessell “Warmdaddy" Anderson may be the last jazz artists to have musically-anointed monikers, from a genre replete with them (Lester “Prez" Young, Billie “Lady Day" Holiday, Johnny “Rabbit" Hodges, Julian “Cannonball" Adderley and “John Birks “Dizzy" Gillespie). Schuur was named “Deedles" as a child by her mother. The name stuck and proved both inspirational and descriptive for the accomplished singer and pianist, blind from birth, who has performed with the luminaries of jazz. ...

1
Radio & Podcasts

Christmas In My Soul

Read "Christmas In My Soul" reviewed by Mary Foster Conklin


Includes more Christmas songs penned by women, with holiday recordings by Dave Stryker, Laila Biali, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Rebecca Angel, plus new releases by Youn Sun Nah, Chloe Perrier, Fostina Dixon, and Elena Gilliam, with birthday shout outs to Bob Dorough, Sue Maskaleris, Diane Schuur, Sean Harkness, Edith Piaf, Camille Thurman and Kaylé Brecher, among others. Playlist Dave Stryker “This Christmas" from Eight Track Christmas (Strikezone Records) 00:00 Deanna Witkowski “Love Came Down" ...

1
Live Review

Diane Schuur at Birdland

Read "Diane Schuur at Birdland" reviewed by Tyran Grillo


Diane Schuur Birdland New York, NY November 14, 2017 In the fall of 2017, Diane Schuur returned to New York City for a highly anticipated residency at Birdland. Bringing saxophonist Joel Frahm, bassist Roger Hines, and drummer Willie Jones III along for the ride, the singer and pianist showed us that being a class act on the bandstand means knowing how to balance life off it with honest reflection and joyful response. This ...

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Extended Analysis

Diane Schuur: I Remember You (With Love to Stan and Frank)

Read "Diane Schuur: I Remember You (With Love to Stan and Frank)" reviewed by Victor L. Schermer


Diane Schuur is that rare songbird who is equally competent as a jazz singer and a pops entertainer. While some vocalists go with more lucrative popular music and some take the road of the jazz artist in the pure sense, Schuur is able to straddle the two careers. Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole had a superb grasp of the jazz idiom, but they made the decisive choice to become entertainers. By contrast, Chris Connor, Betty Carter, and Johnny Hartman ...

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Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Diane Schuur

Jazz Musician of the Day: Diane Schuur

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Diane Schuur's birthday today!

Nicknamed “Deedles" as a child (her mother's endearment), Tacoma-born Schuur grew up steeped in traditional American jazz, courtesy of both parents: David Schuur was a local police captain and amateur pianist, and Joanie Schuur kept a formidable collection of Duke Ellington and Dinah Washington albums in their suburban-Seattle home. Not surprisingly, Dinah Washington is often listed as Schuur's major vocal influence. She learned the iconic singer's “What a Difference a Day ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Diane Schuur

Jazz Musician of the Day: Diane Schuur

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Diane Schuur's birthday today!

Nicknamed “Deedles" as a child (her mother\'s endearment), Tacoma-born Schuur grew up steeped in traditional American jazz, courtesy of both parents: David Schuur was a local police captain and amateur pianist, and Joanie Schuur kept a formidable collection of Duke Ellington and Dinah Washington albums in their suburban-Seattle home. Not surprisingly, Dinah Washington is often listed as Schuur\'s major vocal influence... Read more.

Place our Musician of the Day widget on ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Diane Schuur

Jazz Musician of the Day: Diane Schuur

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Diane Schuur's birthday today!

Nicknamed “Deedles" as a child (her mother\'s endearment), Tacoma-born Schuur grew up steeped in traditional American jazz, courtesy of both parents: David Schuur was a local police captain and amateur pianist, and Joanie Schuur kept a formidable collection of Duke Ellington and Dinah Washington albums in their suburban-Seattle home. Not surprisingly, Dinah Washington is often listed as Schuur\'s major vocal influence... Read more.

Place our Musician of the Day widget on ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Diane Schuur

Jazz Musician of the Day: Diane Schuur

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Diane Schuur's birthday today!

Diane Schuur, who has often been on the periphery of jazz, has the potential to be an important jazz singer although she still includes a large dose of pop tunes in her repertoire. Early in her career she had the tendency to screech in her upper register, but with maturity that flaw has largely disappeared and she has become a very impressive singer. Blinded at birth due to a hospital accident... ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Diane Schuur

Jazz Musician of the Day: Diane Schuur

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Diane Schuur's birthday today!

Diane Schuur, who has often been on the periphery of jazz, has the potential to be an important jazz singer although she still includes a large dose of pop tunes in her repertoire. Early in her career she had the tendency to screech in her upper register, but with maturity that flaw has largely disappeared and she has become a very impressive singer. Blinded at birth due to a hospital accident... ...

1

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Diane Schuur

Jazz Musician of the Day: Diane Schuur

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Diane Schuur's birthday today! Diane Schuur, who has often been on the periphery of jazz, has the potential to be an important jazz singer although she still includes a large dose of pop tunes in her repertoire. Early in her career she had the tendency to screech in her upper register, but with maturity that flaw has largely disappeared and she has become a very impressive singer. Blinded at birth due to a hospital accident... ...

1

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Diane Schuur

Jazz Musician of the Day: Diane Schuur

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Diane Schuur's birthday today! Diane Schuur, who has often been on the periphery of jazz, has the potential to be an important jazz singer although she still includes a large dose of pop tunes in her repertoire. Early in her career she had the tendency to screech in her upper register, but with maturity that flaw has largely disappeared and she has become a very impressive singer. Blinded at birth due to a hospital accident... ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Diane Schuur

Jazz Musician of the Day: Diane Schuur

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Diane Schuur's birthday today!

Diane Schuur, who has often been on the periphery of jazz, has the potential to be an important jazz singer although she still includes a large dose of pop tunes in her repertoire. Early in her career she had the tendency to screech in her upper register, but with maturity that flaw has largely disappeared and she has become a very impressive singer. Blinded at birth due to a hospital accident... ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Diane Schuur

Jazz Musician of the Day: Diane Schuur

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Diane Schuur's birthday today!

Diane Schuur, who has often been on the periphery of jazz, has the potential to be an important jazz singer although she still includes a large dose of pop tunes in her repertoire. Early in her career she had the tendency to screech in her upper register, but with maturity that flaw has largely disappeared and she has become a very impressive singer. Blinded at birth due to a hospital accident... ...

Performance / Tour

The RRazz Room Presents The Return Of Grammy Award-Winning Jazz Legend Diane Schuur

The RRazz Room Presents The Return Of Grammy Award-Winning Jazz Legend Diane Schuur

Source: Miller Wright & Associates

The RRazz Room, San Francisco’s premier nightclub, presents the return of Grammy Award-winning jazz legend, Diane Schuur, nicknamed “Deedles,” to celebrate the release of her recent album, The Gathering. The CD features special guests Alison Krauss, Vince Gill, Mark Knopfler, Larry Carlton and Kirk Whalum. For her show, Schuur embraces her country roots for the first time infusing her jazz sensibilities into ten country-brewed tunes from such seminal songwriters as Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Hank Cochran, Kris Kristofferson, Roger Miller ...

Photos

Concerts

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Running on Faith

Jazzheads
2020

buy

The Gathering

Not On Label (Diane French Self-released)
2011

buy

Some Other Time

Heads Up International
2008

buy

Live in London

GR2 Classics
2006

buy

Schuur Fire

Not On Label (Diane French Self-released)
2005

buy

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