The Music Jockey

01 Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me) Strong, Whitfield 4:53
02 Over the Weekend Allen, Benson 5:24
03 Lovin' You Ripperton, Rudolph 5:29
04 I'm in Love Again Coleman, Schluger 4:45
05 Midnight Sun Burke, Hampton, Mercer 5:44
06 Once I Loved DeMoraes, Gilbert, Jobim 5:32
07 The Windmills of Your Mind Bergman, Legrand 5:15
08 Social Call Basheer, Hendricks 4:18
09 When You Know Franzel, Kimmel 6:45
10 Today Will Be a Good Day Reeves 5:09



Review by Michael G. Nastos: Dianne
Reeves has deservedly been hoisted on high as one of the top five jazz
voices in the decade of the 2000s. Her four Grammy Awards and her
music from the movie soundtrack Good Night, and Good Luck solidified
Reeves' upper-echelon placement. When You Know showcases material
going off into the shallow end of the pool, away from legitimate jazz,
and covering languid and lush pop songs. George Duke, who has
over-produced many a recording in his time, is not quite in the realm
of Tommy LiPuma or Creed Taylor, but he has done more than his share
to give Reeves an orchestrated backdrop to sing songs she likes. While
it's good that the setting is acoustic, thanks to a string quartet and
the guitar of Romero Lubambo, it seems the vocalist could do these
tunes just as well without them. Then again, Reeves, who displays a
picture-perfect instrument, has more often than not straddled the
commercial line, and has freely crossed over it. This should not be
much of a surprise to anyone. Her most impressive straight jazz cover,
"Social Call" sports a second-chorus extrapolated lyric over the Wes
Montgomery-styled electric guitar of Russell Malone. There's nothing
phony or pretentious about this one. "Windmills of Your Mind" has an
interesting modal arrangement within a waltz framework. "Once I Loved"
is done nicely, but as in the case of the remainder of the other
selections, lacks energy and originality. A light funk version of
"Midnight Sun" does not compare favorably to Sarah Vaughan's classic
version, and Minnie Riperton's "Lovin' You" should be left alone
except for those who wish to sleep and snooze to it. Lubambo is the
shining light of the session, heard on nine tracks in his own
inimitable, passionate, classy manner. Most indulgent is "Today Will
Be a Good Day," a rock shuffle with Malone's bluesy R&B guitar
resembling something the Stray Cats might have done in the '80s. A
disappointing project, it's a lazy, trite repeat of worn-out material
as opposed to Reeves creating pathways for new ways of expression or
reinventing great standards.