Review Bean describes her music as "Southern-friend vintage jazz," and with its languid melodies and sultry vocal lines, it does sound as if it could have floated off a Georgia porch and landed by accident in rainy, cold Seattle. Bean's vocals recall Billie Holiday, only with sheer joy replacing all that pain. "Summertime" makes occasional excursions toward comedy ("Honey Wine" is a chipper love song to an odiferous "you" one can only hope is an elderly dog), but it truly shines when Bean settles down for slow-burning, serious numbers, such as the weary, troubled-relationship ballad "Not Enough Winter" or the spiritual "Mother." --Seattle Post IntelligencerDatri Bean is unlike any artist I've ever heard, at least not recently. Her self-described Southern-fried vintage jazz is reminiscent of Billie Holiday, Nina Simone and others of that genre, but with an upbeat twist. She sings of swimming holes, sweet tea, lilac wine, 6'9" men in overalls .... where does one sign up for that trip? I want to go. Born in Wyoming, Bean lived in Austin for years before settling in Seattle. Her heart, however, was still in Texas and that ache resulted in some terrific songwriting. From the smooth, clarinet-infused opening track (Sweet Tea) to the ragtime ode to a beloved canine (Honey Wine) closing, these songs transport you to a sleepy southern town where big front porches, scorched vegetable gardens and sippin' hooch rule the day. Even more impressive than the general tone and feel of the music, are the lyrics. Be it walking "past the broken steps and kitty cats and tools and chunks of metal scattered on the ground" (I Saw Your Sign) or sitting down "at one of 15 available tables; the waitress comes in squeaky shoes; she's wearing turquoise blue" (Jim's Giant Truck Stop), she skillfully transports you to each and every location. You can see it. You can feel it. You can go back time and time again. I had the distinct pleasure of catching two of Ms. Bean's shows late last month, hot on the heels of her recent tour with the Ditty Bops. Both Charlotte area venues were small and intimate, and perfect for her act. Datri took the stage in her trademark striped socks, made herself comfortable at the keyboard, glanced at her percussionist and backup vocalist, Aimee Tubbs, and they were off. The first thing I noticed (besides those terrific socks) is that she sounds exactly like she does on the CD. In a day of over-produced, sugar-laden pop garbage, hearing someone actually performing their own material, and doing it well, is a joy. Bean and Tubbs have a easy rapport and it suits the musically perfectly. Bean's presence is intoxicating. She pulls you in with the stories between songs and the songs themselves -- it's utterly enthralling. I'm not the only one who thinks this way, as evidenced by reactions I've witnessed. I've never been to a show where the audience was so captivated by a performance that, when it ended, and the last notes lay lingering in the air, a cricket could be heard chirping just outside the window next to the stage. That actually happened during her Winston-Salem show. Remarkable. Ms. Bean began each set with a few songs from her upcoming sophomore release, most notably "Lazy", which is exquisite, and "Okra", which is a favorite of Tubbs' and is just too much fun to leave off the next CD (hint, hint Datri). She finished the show with several of the songs on her current release and another tune, "Tamales", which was on her demo but didn't make it onto this pressing. Hopefully, we'll get another chance to hear that on the new release as it's a fabulous song. Nobody incorporates food into a song like Datri Bean. About.com named her one of the "best folk artists you've never heard of ." Now's the time to remedy that situation. ~ K. Hubbard --KemiksDatri Bean is not a performer who woke up one day and decided to try out revival music. Her songs ring with the authentic tone of an artist who was raised on the rootsy rumblings of early jazz and Americana. Slow Down Summertime, her debut album, includes several whisky-swirlin', toe-tappin' ditties intermixed with a few livelier tracks and occasionally slowed with a stark ballad. The opening song, "Sweet Tea," sets a sexy, engaging tone for the record, backing Bean's raw, sultry vocals with a slinky jazz-clarinet melody provided by Asylum Street Spanker Stanley Smith. "Jim's Giant Truck Stop" stands out as the songwriting triumph of the album, transporting Bean's listeners to a Nebraska diner with gut-wrenchingly vivid images of a woman taking stock of the reality of a place in life she never expected to find herself. Bean's ability to fuse jazz piano, horns and folk music and her incredibly talented band should not be underestimated, but it is her "sepia toned vocals" that move her work beyond simply an enjoyable experiment in making the old new again and classify her as both a talent and a visionary. --Eugene Weekly