DEEANN, "Piano in the Dark"

While catchy covers of classic songs have been a part of pop music history since the beginning, the mark of truly great artists is the ability to make a beloved classic their own, infusing those re-imaginings with fresh, dynamic arrangements, contemporary production and their own vocal style rooted in a personal connection to the lyrics. 

Collaborating with legendary producer Ted Perlman, multi-award winning jazz and blues song stylist DeeAnn has reached new career heights this year with sensual, infectious soul-jazz renditions of Al Green’s “Simply Beautiful” (which rose to #3 on Urban Influencer) and Sade’s “Kiss of Life,” a deeply spiritual track that hit the Smoothjazz.com charts and earned a mention on the Jazz Chill Blog. DeeAnn and Perlman hit creative paydirt once again with their soulfully grooving, emotionally rousing twist on Brenda Russell’s two-time Grammy nominated, Billboard Top Ten hit “Piano in the Dark.” 

It's not often that artists embrace new versions of their renowned hits, but Russell immediately granted an enthusiastic endorsement to DeeAnn and Perlman, saying, “I loved it. I think it’s very cool. Love the groove and DeeAnn’s voice is hauntingly beautiful, as is the track. Congrats to Ted.” DeeAnn says, “I’m very honored and flattered by Brenda’s words. She’s an amazing singer and songwriter and has a beautiful soul herself.”  

Just as DeeAnn had a profound connection to Sade’s lyric about an angel coming down to bring love and joy into people’s lives, she connects meaningfully to Russell’s uniquely spun narrative about an inability to leave a troubled relationship the minute her significant other starts playing music that draws her back in. “The song is easy to relate to,” says DeeAnn, who brings her unique sense of phrasing throughout the arrangement. “It’s about a woman trapped in a relationship where she’s captivated by this piano player. She threatens to leave their relationship, but just as she summons the strength to walk away, he grabs her back when he plays piano in the dark.”

“As I’ve heard the song over the years,” she adds, “I’ve thought about that kind of man who has a unique ability to keep a woman where she really shouldn’t be. I was once in that exact kind of relationship, and then later in another literally with a piano playing boyfriend. It’s not always easy to walk away even if it’s not right for us. As much as a we want to leave, there are always many reasons to stay and hope things get better. There were a few parts where I had to sing the ‘I’m feeling stronger’ line twice, the second time with our amazing backing vocalists Moe Loughran and Damien Horne, to emphasize the importance of those lyrics.”

As with “Simply Beautiful” and “Kiss of Life,” DeeAnn and Perlman recorded the majority of “Piano in the Dark” at his Nashville based studio Station West, with Perlman producing, engineering and contributing his fiery electric guitar vibe (and a crackling solo!) alongside some of Music City’s heaviest hitters –bassist Jonathan Nixon, drummer Brian Czach and pianist/organist Jody Nardone, who brings fresh magic to the song’s signature piano solo, played on the original by Russell Ferrante of the legendary Yellowjackets. 

Perlman had a certain intro in mind when he entered the studio before the session and heard DeeAnn humming casually along as Nardone warmed up on the piano. This brilliant impromptu moment inspired the opening few bars of the track, capped by DeeAnn singing “When he plays the piano” before the main groove of the song pops in. Towards the end of the track, DeeAnn improvises exquisite wordless vocals before Nardone adds a major chord at the end that sounds like an approving choir of angels – adding to the feeling that the singer and producer are truly a match made in musical heaven. 

Perlman brings some iconic musical history of his own to his partnership with DeeAnn. He is a is a much- lauded industry veteran who has produced, arranged, recorded and toured with the likes of Whitney Houston, Harry Belafonte, Bob Dylan, Burt Bacharach, Ronald Isley, The Manhattans, Jermaine Jackson, Edwin Hawkins, CeCe Winans, Brian Wilson, Dr. Dre, Diana Ross, Ringo Starr, Joe Cocker, Chicago and Young MC.

Building off the success of her sultry 2024 breakthrough track “Stay Here with Me,” which was produced by RiShon Odel, DeeAnn’s 2025 got off to an inspiring start with accolades in the 10th Annual JazzBuffalo Poll honoring musical greats in her beloved hometown. She was awarded Jazz Female Vocalist of the Year, received the most votes for her still popular 2023 album It’s My Time and was runner up for the Most Memorable Performance and the John Hunt Jazz Artist of the Year Award. This extends a run of honors that began in her early days as a pop/rock and country singer, when she won Best Female Vocalist at the Buffalo Music Awards two years in a row. Since returning to the music scene as what she calls a “jazzy soul” singer in the mid-2010s, she’s also won Best Female Blues Vocalist at the Buffalo NightLife Music Awards and a Best Jazz CD nod from JazzBuffalo.org for her 2019 EP Stay Here.