Dianne Reeves

George Clooney's 2005 film Good Night, and Good Luck is set in New York City during the '50s, and the director decided the right music to go with the black-and-white cinematography was jazz. More specifically, current recordings from vocalist Dianne Reeves and a small combo featuring some silky smooth tenor and alto sax from Matt Catingub, Peter Martin on piano, and Jeff Hamilton on drums with Robert Hurst and Christoph Luty splitting bass duties. The tunes are mostly classic ballads and smoky standards (all picked by Clooney) that Reeves and the group handle with a satisfyingly light touch. She gives the songs plenty of emotion but never over-sings, lending the recording a very intimate feel. Also helping with that is the sound of the album as it's free from any modern studio trickery or gloss; in fact, much of the music on the soundtrack was recorded live during the shooting of the movie. Had Clooney chosen songs actually recorded in the '50s, the soundtrack may have been more authentic, but Reeves and her group do a commendable job of re-creating the simple and sentimental sound of the era's mainstream vocal jazz. ~ Tim Sendra, All Music Guide