Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison, Colorado, Aug 27

Been to a Diana Krall concert? Talk about it here (registered only)

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Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison, Colorado, Aug 27

Postby Bud on 24 Apr 2007, 02:15

New on the official site...
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Postby cutes22 on 26 Apr 2007, 01:40

I see it says tickets aren't available until the 27th, but I was able to log on and get tickets now. Prime seats available, Im tempted to buy some even though I couln't possibly go.
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Blog Review: Diana Krall at Red Rocks in Denver

Postby Bud on 30 Aug 2007, 12:34

It rained during this outdoor appearance :(

http://www.billpetro.com/2007/08/29/con ... in-denver/

DIANA KRALL AT RED ROCKS IN DENVER

I discovered this singer several years ago while traveling through Canada when my wife played me her CD. I asked her “Who is this fabulous old black singer? She sounds like Ella Fitzgerald.” When she showed me the CD cover, I was stunned. Diana Krall is a 41 year old rather strikingly blond chanteuse from Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. But it’s her voice that is the most outstanding reason to go see her. This was her first performance at Red Rocks in Denver.

But the show started with a 45 minute set by Chris Botti. This gifted trumpeter set up the evening quite dramatically. He began with a stirring rendition of

Ave Maria
as unexpected as it was beautiful. He began only with a piano accompaniment, but then he was joined at the end with drums.

When I Fall in Love
added guitar, electric bass and drums. Even on this second song you could tell you were going to get your money’s worth. He’s an outstanding instrumentalist. Having played trumpet myself several centuries ago, I could appreciate both his lightning fast valve action as well as his staccato tongue work.

He introduced his pianist Peter Martin from New Orleans, who joined him on his next song, taken from the legendary Miles Davis hit album “Kind of Blue” which was a series of 5 chord changes but no lyric thread. Chris introduced it by saying that he himself grew up in the Jazz capital of the world — Corvallis, Oregon. But he was asked to give the talk when Miles Davis was inducted into Jazz Hall of Fame, as the natural choice, being the palest trumpeter they could find. Obligatory story: I caught Miles Davis some 35 years ago when he was performing in the renowned Berkeley Jazz Festival, as it was held at the Greek Theater. Along with Ike and Tina Turner, it was jazz on steroids.

Flamingo Sketches
with a mute in his horn, and a 20 second sustain, it don’t get no better.

Chris then introduced Mark Whitfield on the fire engine red guitar, and they played a duet.

The next song was originally done by Jeff Buckley, which Chris told us was recording in the studio next to the one he first recorded in. But Buckley died before finishing a second album, a great loss. Chris then played this song

Hallelujah
The Red Rocks amphitheater is an open air venue, with only the stage covered. At this point in the evening, the rain began to fall. While they were playing

A Thousand Kisses Deep
the guitarist played a riff of “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” and the rest of the band jammed. This guitarists was so fast, he could play an answering echo to his own riff. He then introduced the next solo

Isn’t She Lovely
James Genus on bass was introduced as was Billy Kilson on drums. Chris then introduced the next song, from his favorite movie about a boy growing up in Italy. As the pianist began the theme from “The Godfather” Chris corrected him and said this was the love theme from

Cinema Paradiso
Following on that theme, he introduced his upcoming album Italia, coming in September of music inspired the the couple of years he spent living in Italy as a child. He will have songs featuring Andrea Bocelli and Dean Martin. “And Dean Martin still sounds fabulous!”

Indian Summer
sounded incredible, especially the second verse, which he did with the mute in that was so sassy. The song was quite kinetic and energetic with an extended drum solo. Man, could he slap hide! And his cymbal work was sizzling syncopation.

His part of the show ended, followed by a rather long 30 minute interval.

Diana Krall took the stage, took a bow and began by saying “I am from British Columbia, I appreciate the elements” as the rain continued.

She’s taken a six month break as she’s recently had twins, with her husband Declan MacManus, who probably know better by his stage name Elvis Costello. She is currently in the midst of a 3 month tour of the U.S. in support of her album From This Moment On, her tenth album.

She began accompanied by only an upright bass, guitar, and drums. She launched into a Peggy Lee song

I Love Being Here With You
with each instrumentalist getting a solo in this mostly instrumental piece.

As the rain came down even harder she did a long intro to

Stormy Weather
but she actually turned it into the Cole Parther favorite she intended to play

Let’s Fall in Love
but her guitarist, during his particular solo, could not resist playing “Rain Drops Keep Falling on My Head.”

She introduced her band: Anthony Wilson on guitar, Jeff Hamilton on Drums, and Robert Hurst on upright bass. She told us that she was going to do a Nat King Cole hit, but teased us with the opening strains of Sesame Street.

I’ll String Along With You
and ended it with a few strains from the Nat King Cole song “Mona Lisa.”

Do I Love You, Indeed I Do
came next, but was brought up short by a cloud burst. She took a break “to move the furniture.” She had been wiping off the keyboard and her piano, but was on the edge of where the canopy covered the stage. She took the opportunity to chat with the audience saying, “Now you get to see what I look like before I come on stage. Living on Vancouver Island, we get rain about 300 days a year. If it hasn’t rained for a while, I get anxious in a Woody Allen kind of way. You probably heard that I had twins… last week. And now I’ve been living on a bus for weeks eating food. Now I’m ready to record my children’s album ‘If You’re Happy And you Know It Clap You Hands’.”

She went on to play many more songs, including the standards you’d expect. Though she had to wipe her piano and nose a number of times, her deep, throaty, confident phrasing reminded me of a young Barbara Streisand. She can hold a phrase longer than you’d expect, but still make it work. It was magic.

Bill Petro, your friendly neighborhood historian
www.billpetro.com
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Blog Post: Diana Krall concert review

Postby Bud on 30 Aug 2007, 12:39

This one talks more about the problems the weather caused...

http://liveski.livejournal.com/1842.html

It was short. I guess that’s the most surprising thing about Diana Krall’s set at Red Rocks last night. She and her band barely played an hour. And that included walking off and returning for the encore, a mid-set instrument rearrangement and assorted fiddling about.

The rain caused the problem. It sprinkled during opener Chris Botti’s set and shortly after he finished it turned to a steady light rain that continued the rest of the evening. Part way through Krall’s set, the wind picked up driving water onto the stage and the piano. The stage crew had to move the Steinway and the rest of the instruments back to try to avoid the rain. Diana kept toweling down the piano including the keys. “This is the avant-garde portion of the program,” she said while running the towel up and down the keyboard. As she came on the stage she walked out in the rain and again during the set rearrangement until she realized that her taffeta top was in danger of turning translucent. She mentioned that she grew up on Vancouver Island, B.C. where it rains about 300 days per year. Still, it was a challenge. At one point she couldn’t sing a line on cue because she had to wipe her runny nose; a move fully displayed on the jumbotron. However, missing a lyric was way better than launching a fully-amplified snort into the amphitheater.

When the band did play, they were top-notch, which is exactly what you would expect from the professionals touring with her. Drummer Jeff Hamilton and guitarist Anthony Wilson have played with her for some time, appearing on her Live in Paris DVD from 2002. Robert Hurst has been an in-demand bassist for years now and has spent considerable time with Wynton Marsalis. Together, they swing those classic tunes like they should be swung. Diana keeps up with her high powered side men. Last night she played at least one solo in every song and each solo was in the classic swing-bebop pocket.

Diana Krall doesn’t break much new ground, but that’s not what she’s here for. Her strength is interpreting the jazz songbook developed in the early to mid 20th Century. And she does it well. Her piano playing is just what’s needed for this type of music, but it’s her vocals that establish her as one of the leading proponents of this type of music today. Well, that and her looks. Hey, this is show business after all. Last night her long blonde hair was left undone to fly in the breeze. That of course caused lots of hair flipping and head tossing, but it was fetching.

The rain put Diana in a playful mood. Several times she improvised new lyrics in honor of the conditions. For instance, instead of “Put on your dancing boots,” she sang, “Put on your rubber boots.” She was also rather talkative, reminiscing about growing up in British Columbia and how she was “popular” because she was in band. Not. She said she played third clarinet, but things have improved since. She spoke of not listening to jazz in high school, but to the more popular acts of the day, for instance, Elvis Costello.

As just about every jazz fan knows by now, Krall is married to Elvis Costello. He came on the punk/new wave scene right around 1980. I always thought he was kind of a snarly, whiney guy. But now he’s married to Diana Krall. What a waste. She just had twin boys about 9 months ago and they are apparently on tour with her, although they didn’t appear on stage last night. She talked about how her new repertoire consists of classics like The Wheels on the Bus.

The song selections were all swinging jazz standards except for her fellow Canadian Joni Mitchell’s A Case of You from the Blue album. She performed that one by herself and it was a nice contrast to the rest of the material. She’s a Joni Mitchell fan having covered Black Crow a time or two as well. Six of the nine tunes she played last night are also on the Live in Paris DVD.

Chris Botti, trumpeter, was the opening act. When I heard he was playing I got excited thinking that with his smooth jazz reputation, his set should provide plenty of fodder for comedic comments in this review. Alas, it was not to be. He was actually pretty good, owing in no small part to his sidemen. Dig the band: Mark Whitfield, guitar; Peter Martin, piano; James Genus, bass, Billy Kilson, drums. Each of those guys is a bona fide, straight ahead jazz player and, in the case of Whitfield and Martin, band leaders with several albums out under their own names. Botti gave each of them a chance to stretch out and it was some of the best playing of the evening.

Botti spoke of his interest in Miles Davis and played Flamenco Sketches from Kind of Blue. He and the band also played a Leonard Cohen composition, a tune by Jeff Buckley and Isn’t She Lovely by Stevie Wonder, so the menu was varied. Whitfield and Martin each played a couple drop dead solos, Genus laid down muscular bass lines and Kilson was killer on the drums. He’s a drummer with a long stroke so his style looks very flamboyant and he also hits the drums really hard. Botti has some trumpet jazz chops, hitting the high notes, holding extended notes and, at other times, playing softly and melodically as called for. I still don’t think I’d buy a Chris Botti CD because I have a hunch it would be overproduced and the sideman virtuosity from the concert would get lost in the mix. A significant part of his appeals seems to be his good looks and blonde hair. How superficial.

The crowd made me feel young. It’s been awhile since I’ve been to a show where I wasn’t far past the average age, but last night I think I snuck under it. Krall filled about ¾ of the 9,000 seat venue. It was great to see that many people out to listen to some jazz. Almost everyone stuck it out through the rain, too. It’s just too bad we didn’t have to stick it out a little longer.

Set List
I Love Being Here With You
Let's Fall in Love
Looking for an Angel
‘Deed I Do
A Case of You
Devil May Care
Let’s Face the Music and Dance
Come Dance With Me
Encore
S’Wonderful

The Band
Diana Krall, piano, vocals
Anthony Wilson, guitar
Jeff Hamilton, drums
Robert Hurst, bass
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Postby gundy516 on 01 Sep 2007, 01:04

I've always wondered what would happen if it rained at an outdoor venue! Sounds like it was a good show in spite of the weather, and anyway it doesn't surprise me that it wasn't anything less than great. I'm always so impressed by how Diana's stage presence has developed, she really is an 'entertainer'. Wonderful impromtu numbers, etc. :D I'm ready to go to another concert!!!!!
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Postby Samuel on 01 Sep 2007, 03:13

Thanks for articles Bud.

Several times she improvised new lyrics in honor of the conditions

This impress me. By the way, not just her improvisation, I don't know explain because I like DK so much.
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Postby tomrosh on 02 Sep 2007, 18:20

Re: Red Rocks Concert
What a ripoff! We paid over $100 each for tickets and she only performed 9 songs! She played for 45-50 minutes! The opening act, Chris Botti, played longer then she did. I know it was raining, but she was mostly under cover. By the time we got back to our car the rain had stopped.
I won't pay another nickel to ever see her again. I love her music, but I hate her disregard for her fans. We were the ones willing to sit in the rain and listen to her, but she ended the concert as quickly as she could. She certainly didn't put herself out for us. In fact, we feel cheated. I won't even buy another CD of hers.
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For Tomrosh!

Postby Samuel on 03 Sep 2007, 03:19

Don't like? What a shame! You have the right of disagree with price and quality, but look well: Still Diana Krall is a great musician. Don't feel cheated. Certainly she have her reason (Like her two son, for example).

Anyway, Welcome to this board. :)
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Postby imnoangel1975 on 04 Sep 2007, 18:26

Tomrosh, first let me say: welcome to the message boards.

Perhaps your "ripoff" was due to the fact that you saw her on a double-bill. Chris Botti did not "open" for Diana Krall. Of all of Diana Krall's concerts, it was only the double-bill/Chris Botti shows where her sets were cut short. In all of her other shows, she has played for at least 90 minutes. I ask that you take that into consideration before totally writing her off.
~Angelique
"you may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one"
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Mark Whitfield!!!!!

Postby TRX-C on 09 Sep 2007, 22:50

Dang! I would love to see this guy in action. He's a solid guitarist, and I would hope that at sometime, he would reunite with DK and do the songs they collaborated on from his album "Forever Love".

Diana, please do this. Those songs are magic. I love Anthony, who has been anointed my guitar god, but the thought of you performing "Some Other Time" and especially "Early Autumn" live has me in a tizzy.
"Our emotions rise to meet the force coming from the screen, and they go on rising... When this happens in popular art form... it is sometimes disparaged as fannishness. But there's something that goes deeper than connoisseurship or taste. It's a fusion of art and love." - Pauline Kael
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