DeeAnn DiMeo’s story continues with new album
Buffalo Music: Life and art come together on new album ‘Still With Me’
By Tanya Gamble
DeeAnn DiMeo’s original tune “Everyone’s Got A Story’”from her first album “Desperately Seeking DeeAnn” explored the idea that everyone has a unique and complex story that may not be immediately evident from their outward appearance or surface-level interactions.
The lyrics caution against making assumptions about others based on superficial observations, which proves to be a testament to DeMeo’s music.
That is still true — perhaps more than ever — with her new album, “Still With Me,” which was released on Valentine’s Day. The album ends with “William’s Song,” which DiMeo released on video in 2024. DiMeo wrote it as a love letter to her first-born son William Tompkins, who was killed in a motorcycle accident in 2021.
“It’s an emotional song about loss,” she said in an interview. “I call it ‘William’s Song,’ but anyone who has gone through loss can relate to it. The song really does relate to any loss because we cry and we miss them everyday. Time doesn’t fill the hole of loss in your heart.”
It’s an album that mixes DiMeo’s originals (opening with “Angel By My Side” and including the declaration “I’m Still Standing”).
Audiences will get a chance to hear DiMeo this weekend when she performs as part of Will Holton’s “Love Cadenza – Part X” show on Saturday night at The Caz. She also performs every Wednesday with the Joe Baudo Quintet at the Sportsmen’s Tavern in their noon jazz show and she’ll be performing solo shows on March 7 at the Pausa Art House and April 15 at Beebe’s At The Gallery for Art Meets Jazz.
The songs have made it onto smooth jazz charts, but DiMeo is a multigenre artist. She doesn’t not wanting to be boxed into genre, but that brings challenges when trying to get signed to a recording contract.
“I started off as a pop singer and I did country after that,” she said. “I also did a little rock, and then I took a break from live performances to have my children. I came back out when they got a little older and I started doing blues and jazz and some R&B, so that’s why I’m kinda multi-genre.
“Genre is the biggest thing I’ve been facing so far. [Marketing teams ask] ‘What are you? Are you R&B? Are you smooth jazz? Are you straight-head jazz? Are you soul? How am I gonna market you? How am I gonna brand you?’”
DiMeo empathizes with Eva Cassidy, a versatile singer who received recognition only after she died.
“Eva Cassidy was 33 when she passed away from cancer, and she tried to get a record deal because her voice is just perfection and [the record label] said ‘no’ because they couldn’t pinpoint her into one genre,” DiMeo said. “Then when she got sick the record label contacted her and apologized and Eva said, ‘No worries. Don’t apologize, it’s OK.” But we now know of Eva after her death because her family made this large market for her. She’s very famous but she wasn’t famous while she was alive.”
DiMeo likes to refer to herself as a jazz/soul artist.
“It’s hard to pinpoint me but my producer calls me a jazzy soul artist,” she said. “I like to sing jazz, soul and R&B. I just love feel music, it’s where you can really express yourself and there’s no boundaries. But I love being called the jazzy soul artist.”
DiMeo’s released the single “Simply Beautiful,” a cover of an Al Green song from 1972, last spring, and it saw some action on smooth jazz charts.
“I was with Urban Influencer with ‘Simply Beautiful’ … and that went to number three on the charts which was really great,” DiMeo said. “I didn’t make it to one but I made it to three and I’m good. As a new independent artist out with all of these amazing artists, I’m good with making it so high up on the charts.”
DiMeo went to Nashville in the fall to record her upcoming album.
“I am going to studio record ‘William’s Song’ and record another video for it as well,” she said.
She also released another single last fall, “Piano in the Dark.”
“I am releasing a song … that’s [written] and recorded by Brenda Russell. It’s really cool Brenda is actually endorsing it,” said DiMeo. “It’s a song that was recorded many years ago that no one has ever covered. It’s only been sampled by a few artists. I believe Flo Rida has sampled the hook in his song ‘I Cry’ and another artist has sampled it.”
To keep up with all of DeMeo’s musical releases, check out her website at deeannmusic.com.