Diana Krall: Artist better than ever
Posted: 19 Jul 2004, 10:14It was a kick watching Diana Krall perform at the Greek Theatre on Friday night. For whatever reasons -- marriage, confidence, maturity, the Southern California air -- the piano jazz diva was looser, yet more assured, than she has been in the past, and she and her stellar three-piece band -- guitarist Anthony Wilson, bassist Robert Hurst and drummer Peter Erskine -- simply sparkled all evening.
The set began with an unnamed instrumental that showcased Krall and her band's talents as it ran through a variety of moods from gritty to mellow. Krall then tore into one from her standard repertoire, "All or Nothing at All,' biting the words off as the song took on a defiant stance. She followed it with Mose Allison's wry "Stop This World' before turning to what was new territory for her: self-penned songs.
A few years ago when I interviewed the now 39-year-old Krall, she told me she liked watching old black-and-white movies, and on Friday, while introducing "The Girl in the Other Room,' she talked of its having a quality of music from a film noir. The song, which is the title cut of her new album that she wrote with her new husband, Elvis Costello, does have a dark, sultry feel to it, enhanced by smoky Krall vocals and evocative cinematic piano solos that relied on mood more than the dazzling riffs she is entirely capable of throwing off. Later, she did one of her husband's older numbers, "Almost Blue,' and all you could think was that Elvis must have sensed something when he wrote it more than 20 years ago because Krall simply inhabits it now.
Krall did a vibrant version of "Black Crow,' one of fellow Canadian Joni Mitchell's jazz-tinged compositions. It's a telling inclusion, because besides Costello's input in her songs, you can hear Mitchell's fusion influence, particularly in her performances of "I'm Coming Through' and "Departure Bay.' In the end Krall, makes everything her own, but hearing her do her own songs live really brings them to life.
Much of the evening, though, was taken up with Krall's eclectic range of material from Tom Waits' percussive "Temptation,' to a playful instrumental of Cole Porter's "Don't Fence Me In,' to a lovely rendition of "I'll String Along With You,' to Fats Domino's "I'm Walkin'' to Irving Berlin's "Let's Face the Music and Dance,' made famous by Fred Astaire. But the best part was that, even as Krall and her band bounced from pop to jazz and seemingly most places in between, the Greek had the fun atmosphere of a small club.
This can be attributed to a stronger stage presence than Krall had shown in the past. You could hear it both in her vocals, which are more powerful, and in her piano playing, which continues to be more adventurous. Much is made about Krall as a singer -- and a looker -- but she is a stylish pianist, and watching her and others in her band, who add a whole palette of colors to the performance with their exceptional playing, is a treat.
By Rob Lowman
robert.lowman@dailynews.com
Source: U-Redlands Daily Facts
The set began with an unnamed instrumental that showcased Krall and her band's talents as it ran through a variety of moods from gritty to mellow. Krall then tore into one from her standard repertoire, "All or Nothing at All,' biting the words off as the song took on a defiant stance. She followed it with Mose Allison's wry "Stop This World' before turning to what was new territory for her: self-penned songs.
A few years ago when I interviewed the now 39-year-old Krall, she told me she liked watching old black-and-white movies, and on Friday, while introducing "The Girl in the Other Room,' she talked of its having a quality of music from a film noir. The song, which is the title cut of her new album that she wrote with her new husband, Elvis Costello, does have a dark, sultry feel to it, enhanced by smoky Krall vocals and evocative cinematic piano solos that relied on mood more than the dazzling riffs she is entirely capable of throwing off. Later, she did one of her husband's older numbers, "Almost Blue,' and all you could think was that Elvis must have sensed something when he wrote it more than 20 years ago because Krall simply inhabits it now.
Krall did a vibrant version of "Black Crow,' one of fellow Canadian Joni Mitchell's jazz-tinged compositions. It's a telling inclusion, because besides Costello's input in her songs, you can hear Mitchell's fusion influence, particularly in her performances of "I'm Coming Through' and "Departure Bay.' In the end Krall, makes everything her own, but hearing her do her own songs live really brings them to life.
Much of the evening, though, was taken up with Krall's eclectic range of material from Tom Waits' percussive "Temptation,' to a playful instrumental of Cole Porter's "Don't Fence Me In,' to a lovely rendition of "I'll String Along With You,' to Fats Domino's "I'm Walkin'' to Irving Berlin's "Let's Face the Music and Dance,' made famous by Fred Astaire. But the best part was that, even as Krall and her band bounced from pop to jazz and seemingly most places in between, the Greek had the fun atmosphere of a small club.
This can be attributed to a stronger stage presence than Krall had shown in the past. You could hear it both in her vocals, which are more powerful, and in her piano playing, which continues to be more adventurous. Much is made about Krall as a singer -- and a looker -- but she is a stylish pianist, and watching her and others in her band, who add a whole palette of colors to the performance with their exceptional playing, is a treat.
By Rob Lowman
robert.lowman@dailynews.com
Source: U-Redlands Daily Facts
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