Dianne Reeves with special guest Rodney Whitaker February 9, 2008

Tickets: $33, $28, $23, $15 student tickets
Box Office: whartoncenter.com
517.432.2000 or 1.800.WHARTON

Dianne Reeves is the pre-eminent jazz vocalist in the world today. She was awarded the Grammy® for Best Jazz Vocal Performance for her last three recordings – a Grammy first in any vocal category. Down Beat refers to Reeves as “…the legitimate extension of all of the good things that have gone on before, from Ethel Waters to Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah and Carmen. She is earth mother, lover, the hurt child: she manages to get inside each one of those things.”

Joining Reeves is MSU’s own Director of Jazz Studies Rodney Whitaker who is one of the leading performers and teachers of jazz double bass in the United States. He is a member of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, and received national recognition performing with the Terence Blanchard Quintet. Whitaker has also toured internationally as a featured performer with the Roy Hargrove Quintet. In addition, he has appeared and presented master classes at the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE) conferences. Featured on more than 100 recordings - from film to compact discs - Whitaker's film score, China, directed by Jeff Wray, was released on PBS in 2002.

Official Website: http://www.whartoncenter.com/performances/productionDetails.aspx?productionID=470&genreID=58