DeeAnn, the multi-award-winning jazz and blues vocalist, has once again elevated a beloved classic with her sensual, infectious rendition of Brenda Russell’s two-time Grammy-nominated hit Piano in the Dark. Collaborating with legendary producer Ted Perlman, DeeAnn follows her 2024 breakthrough track Stay Here with Me and her 2025 soul-jazz hits, Al Green’s Simply Beautiful and Sade’s Kiss of Life, with this emotionally rousing, contemporary take on Russell’s timeless song.
Russell herself endorsed the new version, 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 shares, “I’m very honored and flattered by Brenda’s words. She’s an amazing singer and songwriter and has a beautiful soul herself.” The song resonates deeply with DeeAnn, who connects with its story of a woman torn between leaving a troubled relationship and being drawn back in by the music of a piano-playing lover. “As much as we want to leave, there are always many reasons to stay and hope things get better,” she explains. Her phrasing and layered vocal delivery, including wordless improvisation and harmonies with backing vocalists Moe Loughran and Damien Horne, emphasize the song’s emotional depth.
Recorded at Perlman’s Nashville studio, Station West, the track features the producer’s fiery electric guitar, bassist Jonathan Nixon, drummer Brian Czach, and pianist/organist Jody Nardone, who delivers a fresh take on the song’s iconic piano solo. The opening bars emerged spontaneously when DeeAnn hummed along during Nardone’s warm-up, giving the track an organic, inspired start, and it culminates with a major chord that feels like an angelic approval of the performance.
Ted Perlman brings decades of music industry experience to the collaboration, having produced, arranged, recorded, and toured with legends including Whitney Houston, Bob Dylan, Burt Bacharach, Ronald Isley, CeCe Winans, Brian Wilson, Diana Ross, Ringo Starr, and many more. Together with DeeAnn, the pair have created a rendition that balances contemporary production, soulful grooves, and her deeply personal vocal connection to the lyrics.
DeeAnn’s 2025 has built on a remarkable streak of accolades. She was named Jazz Female Vocalist of the Year in the 10th Annual JazzBuffalo Poll, received the most votes for her 2023 album It’s My Time, and earned runner-up honors for Most Memorable Performance and the John Hunt Jazz Artist of the Year Award. Since returning to music as a “jazzy soul” singer in the mid-2010s, she has consistently earned recognition, including Best Female Blues Vocalist at the Buffalo NightLife Music Awards and a Best Jazz CD nod for her 2019 EP Stay Here.
With Piano in the Dark, DeeAnn demonstrates once again her talent for taking classic material and making it distinctly her own, blending emotion, technical prowess, and contemporary soul-jazz flair into a performance that honors the original while staking its own claim on the modern musical landscape.