LA JAZZ SCENE, Jan 2021. by Scott Yanow

SOUL OF THE WATER             Dyan Kane             Interplay/DollbabyMusic

An actress who is also a talented and adventurous singer, Dyan Kane has an extensive background in jazz. She grew up in New York City and worked as a waitress at the Blue Note for a long period where she got to hear jazz greats on a nightly basis, participating in some late night jam sessions. Since moving to the Los Angeles area, she has worked with a variety of top players (including Rickey Woodard and the late Sam Most) and recorded her debut album Dyatribe. 
On Soul Of The Water, the singer is joined by some of L.A.’s best including pianist Robert Turner, guitarist Joe Gaeta, and tenor-saxophonist Keith Fiddmont. One of Dyan Kane’s trademarks is her surprising (and often-witty) treatments of standards. That can be heard on a rapid version of “Summertime” (which has some fine scat singing), her joyfully eccentric “Caravan,” a relatively straightforward and warm “Moonglow,” an exuberant “Brazil,” and a really uptempo rendition of “Lover Man.” She is also a fine writer, contributing the memorable medium-tempo jazz waltz “Papi’s Back In Town” and her love story “Dial Rio For Me.” The last part of the set finds Dyan Kane reaching beyond acoustic jazz with the rhythmic “I Can’t Make You Love Me” and an electronic transformation of Kurt Elling’s “Esperanto” with keyboardist Dominique Xavier Taplin. 
The music overall is quite stimulating and features the inventive Dyan Kane in top form. Soul Of The Water is easily recommended and available from www.dyankanemusic.com.