Dee Dee Bridgewater is a fine African American songstress. She's already released about 20 albums since the mid 70's. But especially her latest 'Red Earth' was a solid statement from a black woman who went in search of her (musical) roots in Mali (though she also reports Chickasaw, Cherokee, Irish, German and Chinese blood from her ancestors).
This summer she appeared on the Jazz Middelheim stage and De Standaard wrote of it: 'Bridgewater is still not only a singer but also a performer who wants to please and tease, basically isn't shy of a little spectacle and she almost forced the audience to stand up and party along.'
She has already worked with Ray Charles, Sonny Rollins, Dizzy Gillespie, Stanley Clarke... She's already earned 1 Tony, 2 Grammys and honourable titles like Commandeur De L'ordre Des Arts Et Des Lettres and Ambassadress for the UN FAO fund... she has already honoured the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Kurt Weill, Duke Ellington and French chanson... And now she's back to her great idol Billie Holiday: To Billie with Love - A Celebration of 'Lady Day' (with a new CD out in early 2010 from universal : 'Eleanora Fagan (1917-1959): To Billie With Love From Dee Dee'). Dee Dee Bridgewater is a heavenly voice to come and treasure (and then this ultimate argument: she's also already given her name to a rose species!).