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The Exquisite Diana Krall
Krall, who’s touring madly (see www.dkrall.com for tour dates), is a marvel. At the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall in Troy, N.Y., on April 27 she put on an extraordinary show – swinging, yet intricate; poised, yet playful.
The intimate setting of the historic hall was perfect for Krall and her gang, because if its one thing she can put across its intimacy. They came out swinging with “I Love Being Here With You,” but it was with the soft and sultry version of “All or Nothing At All” that she scooped up the audience in her hands and blew a warm, soothing breath across them, captivating them.
Most of the songs came from two CDs, “Love Scenes” and the Grammy-winning “When I Look in Your Eyes.” Many of the versions were longer, more venturesome, both vocally and pianistically. Krall would change phrasing, sometimes subtly and other times more dramatically. And she seemed in the mood to investigate how she could do different things on piano with her tight, first-rate band. Songs included “Let’s Fall In Love,” “I Don’t Know Enough About You,” “Devil May Care,” “East of the Sun,” and “Take the A Train.” Her singing is exquisite. It’s not powerful – she doesn’t just fills up her lungs and lets go. She’s deft and subtle. She woos you with a voice is so enticing, a style so smooth, it’s impossible to resist. Like sirens from the shore, once you hear it, you’re done for. But don’t worry, there are no rocks for the ship to crash into.
No one sings a ballad like Krall. She even shifted gears from jazz and into Joni Mitchell’s “A Case of You,” (which she performed in April at an all-star tribute to Mitchell in New York City, a show that aired a short time later on the TNT cable TV network).
![](/creviews/dkrall.jpg ALT="Diana Krall" WIDTH=140 HEIGHT=166><br /><br /><P>Diana Krall <BR>Troy, N.Y. <BR>May 2000<P> Accompanied only by her piano, she squeezed the emotion out of the poignant lyric with a combination of delicacy and drama. She had the audience hanging on each phrase, waiting for the next. Breathing slowed. And when she ended, they were so drawn in it took a couple seconds for the people to pound their appreciation with thunderous applause.<br /><br />“If you can imagine what it is like to sing it in front of Joni Mitchell...,” she said softly. Joni would have loved it as much as she did in New York. Maybe more.<br /><br />She said she learned “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” from the wonderful “Sinatra at the Sands” album. She does it in a slow tempo, her voice dipping down to smoky low tones. It’s utterly transformed from the Sinatra version with the Basie band. Both are great. Diana comes across like a warm, soft wind across a tropical beach; Frank’s version has the swagger of Midtown Manhattan. Krall’s soft, intricate ending, spare and sweet, had the audience sighing.<br /><br />The band is so together it allows them to be playful, like on “Peel Me a Grape” and “Lost Mind,” and still be on the same page. They swing some songs to death and gear down for tender moments. New guitarist Dan Faehnle had big shoes to fill in replacing Russell Malone, but he does so with aplomb. He plays fast and furious, as well as delicate, though Malone was more soulful and bluesy. Still, he’s a good fit. Bassist Ben Wolfe and drummer Shannon Powell work extremely well together, which helps carry the whole band.<br /><br />It’s hard to believe this artist is criticized for being too pop oriented. She’s a jazz singer with few peers. She made a trite, woeful song like “Pick Yourself Up,” sound hip; made people weak-kneed with “When I Look In Your Eyes,” and drew laughter with “Peel Me a Grape.” Like the great singers, she gives pop and jazz standards a certain stamp; a distinctive sound and feel. She tells a story like Carmen could. She swings like Ella could. But the voice and style are all hers.<br /><br />She doesn’t go on explorations like Cassandra Wilson or Kurt Elling (both wonderful), but her delicate twists of phrase and dynamics are gems. You can talk about her contra alto tones, the sultry way she will let her voice trail off and slide into the next lyric, sumptuous and expressive; about her melodic sensibilities or how she can delightfully sing behind the beat of up-tempo tunes. But talk doesn’t do it justice and it really doesn’t matter. Just listen. If you open your ears she will get you. Her feeling is infectious. It’s not a roller coaster ride. It’s the back seat of a limo.<br /><br />Hop in and take the ride.
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