HEADS UP! DIANE SCHUUR HEADLINES AT CATALINA’S JUNE 10 & 11 SUPPORTING HER NEW RELEASE. CONTACT WWW.CATALINAJAZZCLUB.COM FOR RESERVATIONS

Diane Schuur
The Gathering
Vanguard Records
www.vanguardrecords.com
By George W. Harris

Before Diana Krall, there was Diane Schuur, who was promised to be the
lady that ushered in the female singer renaissance. She definitely set
the stage for the following ladies of the microphone, with her last
album possibly her best, as it was her most subdued. Here, on Vanguard
records of all places, she pulls another fast trick, as she delivers a
disc that almost completely eschews her jazz sensibilities and instead
leans more toward the old time pop country of Loretta Lynn and Jimmy
Reeves. I don’t mean to say that it has steel guitars and such, but her
delivery on old timey typed tunes like “Beneath Still Waters” and “Am I
That Easy To Forget” make you feel like you’re in an old watering hole
somewhere in small town USA. The accompaniment includes a rhythm
section that has an electric piano, giving a Moose Lodge atmosphere all
the more. Relaxed, reclining and reflective, Schuur touches into middle
class Americana