Donna Dean Band

MONEY (extended version)
It is the New Zealand way that some of our best artists are internaionally recognised before they are well-known at home. Donna Dean is the latest, a singer songwriter with an international career, releasing her first New Zealand album. In this sense it's a true homecoming. Recording in Nashville and successfully touring and selling records in Europe, is success that doesn't come to many New Zealand artists. When the group who helps you out and plays on your record happens to be the legendary Amazing Rhythm Aces, it's not hard to understand that there are powerful forces at work.
Donna Dean's songs shine in this collection. She sings songs that draw you in and don't let you go. She has a style and a voice that stopped being shy some time ago and now delivers with a confidence and maturity built from years of sitting on a stage and engaging an audience. For someone with their first official record release in New Zealand, it's a pretty good homecoming.
Arthur Baysting
- Arthur Baysting

Money is the unique combination of talent and happenstance. Dean has a very pleasing voice, somewhere between Dusty Springfield and Anne Murray. From the very first snap cracklin' guitar lines of the first track, it's evident that the Aces' trademark sound is totally intact. Smith, the Aces' vocalist and primary songwriter and producer, sings with Dean on "He Deserves Somebody." Smith sounds great singing with Dean and the song has some steel guitar work that gives it a nice traditional country feel. The title track and "Lost in a Memory" are probably the best tracks on the record, with the combination of writing, vocals and instrumental arrangement all working to best advantage, especially on the latter.
William Kates

Her album 'Money,' was recorded in Nashville and is credited to Donna Dean and the Amazing Rhythm Aces. It is unique in that it is the first album since 1978's 'Burning the Ballroom Down' to include both Aces' singer Russell Smith and original guitarist Barry 'Byrd' Burton. "She writes good songs," Aces Bass player Davis says. "I personally like her songs because they sort of paint a picture of a microcosm of life. Easy to relate to."
Glenn Moffatt NZ Musician Magazine

Live Performance Reviews
12 Bar - London
The 12 Bar Club is often a place for discovering remarkable, roots, blues and folk artists that you might not otherwise come across. New Zealand born Donna Dean was definately a discovery worth making. An evening of self penned "folk" songs with definitive hints of country and blues and Nashville in her writing and singing style. Accompanied by fellow acoustic guitarist Dean played a mixture of existing material from her previous three albums. One thing that runs through all her material is its honesty and Deans insights into relationships and the Human experience. For example the radio man brings the empty existence that life can sometimes be to the fore and in a very concrete way. Alongside this Dean sings and performs (wonderful guitar playing) in a way that connects with the audience as well as bringing the subject at hand to life and giving it real meaning.
Folk 'n Roots Online

The Borderline - London
At first, it was difficult to tell she was from New Zealand. Her voice had a decidedly strong twang to it. It wasn't until she spoke that her native accent was obvious...she has a Nashville connection. She recorded an album there (with The Amazing Rhythm Aces). One song from the CD, 'Pictures', felt "realer" when she sang, "and nothing else comes close to the pictures in my head." Her other numbers were country or country rock, bringing across images of old-fashioned Texas honky tonks.
Fem Magazine - Various

Rhonda Vincent Chooses World Wide Bluegrass
for her International Debut of 'Destination Life'
The song Destination Life was written by the very talented New Zealand songwriter Donna Dean and is the title track for Rhonda Vincent's new Album. While spending time in the World Wide Bluegrass chat-room Rhonda became aware of Heather's Bluegrass Downunder show, and how the focus during her show, is predominantly promoting Australian and New Zealand Bluegrass. She also became aware that Heather herself is a Kiwi, residing in Australia. She then petitioned Heather about using her radio show as a launching ramp for Donna Dean, being that she is a fellow New Zealander songwriter.
Heather Mandich is to be commended on her constant, passionate efforts of pulling together the worldwide family of bluegrass. "I think that it is timely and pertinent, that bluegrass news from New Zealand and Australia is reported. We also expect to see many more great things to come from Donna Dean. Her songwriting surely comes from the heart and her lyrics are very pleasantly easy to relate to".
Sammie-Marie Farnsworth - Sammie-Marie Farnsworth