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Portland and Seattle concerts
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Portland and Seattle concerts
by gundy516 on 07 Aug 2007, 17:43
I'm getting ready to head out for my 'concert' tour. We'll be attending the Portland concert Thursday and then attending the Seattle (Woodinville Winery) concert Sunday evening! I'm very excited, these concerts will be only the second and third time seeing Diana. I think it will be interesting to see the difference between an 'indoor' concert in Portland and the 'outdoor' concert at the winery. I won't be back in town till a couple days after the last concert, but will try and remember songs, etc and report back.
- gundy516
- Big Foot
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Re: Portland and Seattle concerts
by wush on 08 Aug 2007, 17:00
gundy516 wrote:I'm getting ready to head out for my 'concert' tour. We'll be attending the Portland concert Thursday and then attending the Seattle (Woodinville Winery) concert Sunday evening! I'm very excited, these concerts will be only the second and third time seeing Diana. I think it will be interesting to see the difference between an 'indoor' concert in Portland and the 'outdoor' concert at the winery. I won't be back in town till a couple days after the last concert, but will try and remember songs, etc and report back.
Excellent! Please report back on your 2 concert experiences. It will make interesting contrast between the indoor and outdoor concert (hope the weather is good in Seattle).
- wush
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by johnfoyle on 10 Aug 2007, 13:48
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/m ... azz10.html
The Seattle Times
Friday, August 10, 2007
Jazz
Diana Krall has finally come into her own
Diana Krall is happy.
Anyone who has seen the diffident, 42-year-old jazz diva in concert, who sometimes gives the impression she would like to shrink from the stage, knows this is wonderful news.
Krall has always had a quick wit, but her curt stage manner and refusal to play the kittenish role projected in her sexy publicity photos have led reviewers and fans to describe her as cold and remote, even when the music itself has been hot and immediate.
Turns out it was all just nervousness and insecurity, she reported in an interview earlier this summer with the Detroit Free Press. The singer said she has finally come into her own "as a woman and an artist."
Motherhood seems to have done the trick for the blond Canadian, who grew up in Nanaimo, B.C., and now divides her time between Vancouver and New York.
Krall's appearance at Chateau Ste. Michelle on Saturday and Sunday comes at the midpoint of her first tour since giving birth to twins last December. The father, of course, is Krall's rock-star husband, Elvis Costello, whom she married in 2003. The boys — Frank and Dexter (fraternal, not identical twins) — are with her on tour. (Costello is not.)
From the moment the tour started — in June, in Oakland — reviewers were struck by Krall's relaxed new mood. When a customer in Oakland requested "Over the Rainbow," Krall apparently laughed, saying, "I don't have the range," then inserted quotes from "The Wizard of Oz" into her next solo.
In Connecticut, she joked about trying to lose her pregnancy weight, then sang a snippet of the children's song "The Wheels on the Bus."
Krall's most recent album, "From This Moment On," which spent nine weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard jazz charts and remains at No. 5, reflects her sunny mood. Inspired by "Sinatra at the Sands" and featuring the big-band arrangements of bassist John Clayton (who plays with Krall), it features some sweetly carefree moments.
On the Irving Berlin classic "Isn't This a Lovely Day," taken slower than Fred Astaire debuted it in the film "Top Hat," you really feel the singer has suddenly opened her eyes to just how ... well, lovely, the world can be. "Day In Day Out," delivered with punchy Sinatra swing, is an ode to sheer joy.
Not that the album is all peaches and cream. Krall's edition of Antonio Carlos Jobim's "How Insensitive," the best track, is an intimate heartbreaker, her "Little Girl Blue" a sad dream.
But Krall has always had more emotional range than she's been given credit for. With deceptively simple mastery, her quicksilver changes of timbre, midphrase, can turn on a dime from a whispering nuzzle to a nakedly plain staccato to a smooth swoop up to meet the band.
Krall's initially nostalgic vision of jazz played a part in critics' underestimation of her. The first record to get much attention, 1996's "All For You," was an homage to the light-hearted pop/jazz of Nat Cole (a mode you can still hear on "Exactly Like You," on the new album). And her commercial breakthrough, three years later, the platinum-selling "When I Look Into Your Eyes," featured lushly orchestrated charts by Johnny Mandel that evoked a bygone era, as well.
Interestingly, after her mother died and she married Costello, Krall went on a songwriting binge that was more personal and stylistically up-to-date for the album "The Girl in the Other Room" — but many fans considered it a betrayal.
Those fans will no doubt be happy with her current show, which draws from her whole recorded career. Her next album, due in September, does, too. It's her first "best of" retrospective.
Krall still opens her show with the classic "I Love Being Here With You," a signature song for Peggy Lee as well as Seattle's Ernestine Anderson, whom Krall adores.
But Krall also sings old favorites, like "Frim Fram Sauce" and "If I Had You," from the Cole material; the sassy Dave Frishberg classic (by way of Blossom Dearie), "Peel Me a Grape"; Bob Dorough's "Devil May Care"; and Joni Mitchell's "A Case of You," which Krall absolutely nailed on her sensational "Live From Paris" DVD.
Krall, of course, doesn't just sing; she plays piano as part of a superb quartet: Clayton, bass; Jeff Hamilton, drums; and Anthony Wilson, guitar.
Though she would be the first to say she is merely an adequate soloist, Krall has sometimes sounded as if she were out to prove something in concert, taking longish solos and trying to play beyond her means. Apparently even that insecurity has vanished — a good thing, because Krall's swinging interactivity as an ensemble player is her real strength, and it buoys her singing.
At the Umbria Jazz Festival last summer, a hot, pregnant and grouchy Krall was happy to give Hamilton a big solo window, and he delighted the crowd with superb brushwork.
This weekend's shows at Ste. Michelle promise all of that and more, with a happy, relaxed joking mom at the piano, finally at home with herself and all of her material.
Paul de Barros: 206-464-3247 or pdebarros@seattletimes.com
The Seattle Times
Friday, August 10, 2007
Jazz
Diana Krall has finally come into her own
Diana Krall is happy.
Anyone who has seen the diffident, 42-year-old jazz diva in concert, who sometimes gives the impression she would like to shrink from the stage, knows this is wonderful news.
Krall has always had a quick wit, but her curt stage manner and refusal to play the kittenish role projected in her sexy publicity photos have led reviewers and fans to describe her as cold and remote, even when the music itself has been hot and immediate.
Turns out it was all just nervousness and insecurity, she reported in an interview earlier this summer with the Detroit Free Press. The singer said she has finally come into her own "as a woman and an artist."
Motherhood seems to have done the trick for the blond Canadian, who grew up in Nanaimo, B.C., and now divides her time between Vancouver and New York.
Krall's appearance at Chateau Ste. Michelle on Saturday and Sunday comes at the midpoint of her first tour since giving birth to twins last December. The father, of course, is Krall's rock-star husband, Elvis Costello, whom she married in 2003. The boys — Frank and Dexter (fraternal, not identical twins) — are with her on tour. (Costello is not.)
From the moment the tour started — in June, in Oakland — reviewers were struck by Krall's relaxed new mood. When a customer in Oakland requested "Over the Rainbow," Krall apparently laughed, saying, "I don't have the range," then inserted quotes from "The Wizard of Oz" into her next solo.
In Connecticut, she joked about trying to lose her pregnancy weight, then sang a snippet of the children's song "The Wheels on the Bus."
Krall's most recent album, "From This Moment On," which spent nine weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard jazz charts and remains at No. 5, reflects her sunny mood. Inspired by "Sinatra at the Sands" and featuring the big-band arrangements of bassist John Clayton (who plays with Krall), it features some sweetly carefree moments.
On the Irving Berlin classic "Isn't This a Lovely Day," taken slower than Fred Astaire debuted it in the film "Top Hat," you really feel the singer has suddenly opened her eyes to just how ... well, lovely, the world can be. "Day In Day Out," delivered with punchy Sinatra swing, is an ode to sheer joy.
Not that the album is all peaches and cream. Krall's edition of Antonio Carlos Jobim's "How Insensitive," the best track, is an intimate heartbreaker, her "Little Girl Blue" a sad dream.
But Krall has always had more emotional range than she's been given credit for. With deceptively simple mastery, her quicksilver changes of timbre, midphrase, can turn on a dime from a whispering nuzzle to a nakedly plain staccato to a smooth swoop up to meet the band.
Krall's initially nostalgic vision of jazz played a part in critics' underestimation of her. The first record to get much attention, 1996's "All For You," was an homage to the light-hearted pop/jazz of Nat Cole (a mode you can still hear on "Exactly Like You," on the new album). And her commercial breakthrough, three years later, the platinum-selling "When I Look Into Your Eyes," featured lushly orchestrated charts by Johnny Mandel that evoked a bygone era, as well.
Interestingly, after her mother died and she married Costello, Krall went on a songwriting binge that was more personal and stylistically up-to-date for the album "The Girl in the Other Room" — but many fans considered it a betrayal.
Those fans will no doubt be happy with her current show, which draws from her whole recorded career. Her next album, due in September, does, too. It's her first "best of" retrospective.
Krall still opens her show with the classic "I Love Being Here With You," a signature song for Peggy Lee as well as Seattle's Ernestine Anderson, whom Krall adores.
But Krall also sings old favorites, like "Frim Fram Sauce" and "If I Had You," from the Cole material; the sassy Dave Frishberg classic (by way of Blossom Dearie), "Peel Me a Grape"; Bob Dorough's "Devil May Care"; and Joni Mitchell's "A Case of You," which Krall absolutely nailed on her sensational "Live From Paris" DVD.
Krall, of course, doesn't just sing; she plays piano as part of a superb quartet: Clayton, bass; Jeff Hamilton, drums; and Anthony Wilson, guitar.
Though she would be the first to say she is merely an adequate soloist, Krall has sometimes sounded as if she were out to prove something in concert, taking longish solos and trying to play beyond her means. Apparently even that insecurity has vanished — a good thing, because Krall's swinging interactivity as an ensemble player is her real strength, and it buoys her singing.
At the Umbria Jazz Festival last summer, a hot, pregnant and grouchy Krall was happy to give Hamilton a big solo window, and he delighted the crowd with superb brushwork.
This weekend's shows at Ste. Michelle promise all of that and more, with a happy, relaxed joking mom at the piano, finally at home with herself and all of her material.
Paul de Barros: 206-464-3247 or pdebarros@seattletimes.com
- johnfoyle
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by Samuel on 11 Aug 2007, 04:15
johnfoyle wrote: ...then sang a snippet of the children's song "The Wheels on the Bus."
I can't wait for hear Diana singing that songs...
johnfoyle wrote: Not that the album is all peaches and cream. Krall's edition of Antonio Carlos Jobim's "How Insensitive," the best track, is an intimate heartbreaker, her "Little Girl Blue" a sad dream.
Tom Jobim........ Cool!!!!!
johnfoyle wrote:Interestingly, after her mother died and she married Costello, Krall went on a songwriting binge that was more personal and stylistically up-to-date for the album "The Girl in the Other Room" — but many fans considered it a betrayal.
What? Impossible!!! A true fan really do not considered it a betrayal.
johnfoyle wrote:Krall, of course, doesn't just sing; she plays piano as part of a superb quartet: Clayton, bass; Jeff Hamilton, drums; and Anthony Wilson, guitar
Great band.
Thanks for article johnfoyle
Last edited by Samuel on 15 Aug 2007, 00:33, edited 2 times in total.
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Samuel - Lost Mind
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Oregonian: Jazz genre's best ambassador is agile, engaging
by Bud on 12 Aug 2007, 13:55
http://www.oregonlive.com/entertainment ... xml&coll=7
Jazz genre's best ambassador is agile, engaging
Review - Diana Krall's asides and endearing ways polish the piano and vocal performance
Saturday, August 11, 2007
LUCIANA LOPEZ
The Oregonian
Jazz in the United States has a problem: It doesn't sell very well. Sure, festivals across the country pull in fans -- thousands, even -- and jazz musicians garner praise from peers in other genres (such as saxophonist Ornette Coleman's recent Pulitzer in music).
But jazz doesn't sell anywhere near the numbers of pop or rock, and aficionados worry that there aren't enough young fans to sustain demand from year to year.
So Diana Krall is something of an anomaly. A jazz singer and pianist, she continually tops the charts, tours to large audiences and (ahem) gets lots of press coverage. Granted, her looks (she's a handsome blonde) and her marriage (to fellow musician Elvis Costello) might help, but the fact remains that she connects with the kind of wide audience that eludes so many other jazz musicians.
Thursday night at Keller Auditorium, drawing on jazz classics, Krall showed if not innovation, certainly the skill and charisma that have made her so popular.
Her set leaned toward mid-tempo songs with a gentle swing, a style that shows her husky voice to its best advantage, though she sounded agile and engaging all around. Songs such as "I Love Being Here With You," "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You" and "East of the Sun (and West of the Moon)" all managed to sound polished without losing a sense of fun, and the final song of her encore, "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?" could well have broken a few hearts in the audience.
Krall is a better pianist than she gets credit for, though that's balanced out by her vocals, which don't quite deserve the credit they get. And her agile playing on Thursday must have been even harder: She hurt her hand early in the show, asking for a bandage and then, when it seemed to interfere with her playing, removing it. (She joked about blood on the piano keys.)
Krall's warmth and humor helped, as well, giving the auditorium an intimate feel. Though she's been called difficult (in July the Web site the Smoking Gun posted a copy of her tour rider, complete with a one-page list of acceptable wines), she was mellow on stage, joking about motherhood and her personal life.
For example, before launching into Irving Berlin's "Let's Face the Music and Dance," she noted how hard it was to play Irving Berlin in her high school talent shows, when "everybody was listening to Elvis Costello." Pause. "But I think I got the last laugh."
Chris Botti, the trumpeter who opened the show, played a technically outstanding set. Botti showed tight dynamic control over his instrument, with an enviable purity and clarity of tone.
But if his ability was indisputable, he might have benefited from a stronger emotional component to his work. "Ave Maria," for example, his opening song, can wring the heart in the right hands (e.g., Stevie Wonder's version soars in aching joy), but Botti's version lacked that depth of resonance. Still, there are worse problems to have than being too technically skilled.
Luciana Lopez: 503-412-7034; lucianalopez@news.oregonian.com
©2007 The Oregonian
Jazz genre's best ambassador is agile, engaging
Review - Diana Krall's asides and endearing ways polish the piano and vocal performance
Saturday, August 11, 2007
LUCIANA LOPEZ
The Oregonian
Jazz in the United States has a problem: It doesn't sell very well. Sure, festivals across the country pull in fans -- thousands, even -- and jazz musicians garner praise from peers in other genres (such as saxophonist Ornette Coleman's recent Pulitzer in music).
But jazz doesn't sell anywhere near the numbers of pop or rock, and aficionados worry that there aren't enough young fans to sustain demand from year to year.
So Diana Krall is something of an anomaly. A jazz singer and pianist, she continually tops the charts, tours to large audiences and (ahem) gets lots of press coverage. Granted, her looks (she's a handsome blonde) and her marriage (to fellow musician Elvis Costello) might help, but the fact remains that she connects with the kind of wide audience that eludes so many other jazz musicians.
Thursday night at Keller Auditorium, drawing on jazz classics, Krall showed if not innovation, certainly the skill and charisma that have made her so popular.
Her set leaned toward mid-tempo songs with a gentle swing, a style that shows her husky voice to its best advantage, though she sounded agile and engaging all around. Songs such as "I Love Being Here With You," "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You" and "East of the Sun (and West of the Moon)" all managed to sound polished without losing a sense of fun, and the final song of her encore, "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?" could well have broken a few hearts in the audience.
Krall is a better pianist than she gets credit for, though that's balanced out by her vocals, which don't quite deserve the credit they get. And her agile playing on Thursday must have been even harder: She hurt her hand early in the show, asking for a bandage and then, when it seemed to interfere with her playing, removing it. (She joked about blood on the piano keys.)
Krall's warmth and humor helped, as well, giving the auditorium an intimate feel. Though she's been called difficult (in July the Web site the Smoking Gun posted a copy of her tour rider, complete with a one-page list of acceptable wines), she was mellow on stage, joking about motherhood and her personal life.
For example, before launching into Irving Berlin's "Let's Face the Music and Dance," she noted how hard it was to play Irving Berlin in her high school talent shows, when "everybody was listening to Elvis Costello." Pause. "But I think I got the last laugh."
Chris Botti, the trumpeter who opened the show, played a technically outstanding set. Botti showed tight dynamic control over his instrument, with an enviable purity and clarity of tone.
But if his ability was indisputable, he might have benefited from a stronger emotional component to his work. "Ave Maria," for example, his opening song, can wring the heart in the right hands (e.g., Stevie Wonder's version soars in aching joy), but Botti's version lacked that depth of resonance. Still, there are worse problems to have than being too technically skilled.
Luciana Lopez: 503-412-7034; lucianalopez@news.oregonian.com
©2007 The Oregonian
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Bud - Moderator
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Seattle Times: Motherhood makes singer relaxed, confident...
by Bud on 13 Aug 2007, 02:42
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/m ... all12.html
Concert Review
Motherhood makes singer relaxed, confident on winery stage
By Paul De Barros
Seattle Times jazz critic
Repeat performance
Diana Krall, 7 p.m. Sunday, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Woodinville; $49.50-$99.50 (206-628-0888 or www.ticketmaster.com).
Review
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Woodinville, Saturday night
"You're probably thinking, 'We preferred you when you were shy,'" joked Diana Krall, after a second binge of banter with the crowd at Chateau Ste. Michelle Saturday.
This was the new, chatty, relaxed, post-motherhood Krall on display, and what a pleasant transformation it was from her formerly diffident persona. In a sold-out, marvelously entertaining show undampened by cool weather, Krall not only appeared comfortable with herself but revealed a flair for comedy.
Introducing Cole Porter's "I've Got You Under My Skin," she recalled, "This didn't go over very well at my high school. Most people were playing, oh, I don't know... Elvis Costello songs or something... I got the last laugh."
Costello and Krall married four years ago and they had twin boys last December.
Krall, who repeats at the Chateau Sunday night, showed her change of attitude right from the start. When she strode onstage in baubled spike heels, slim jeans and a long white chemise, she faced the crowd with a full-on smile and "hello" before taking her seat at the piano.
Launching into her up-tempo opener, "I Love Being Here With You," she really seemed to mean it.
Her set turned to many pages of her songbook, but at every turn showcased her subtle and natural jazz-singer's way with a phrase, as she lay behind the beat, jumped ahead of it or suddenly punched (or whispered) a phrase.
Krall reached down to her alto range on "I've Got You Under My Skin," lingering sexily on the phrase, "Don't you kno-o-o-o-w... " Her transition from the chipper bounce of "I Was Doin' Alright," from her new, best-selling album, "From This Moment On," to Joni Mitchell's moody declaration, "A Case of You," was just the right change-up — especially the way Krall stabbed the word "darlin' " each time in the Mitchell song.
Instrumentally, the quartet sparkled. On "'Deed I Do," from her Nat Cole side, Krall and guitarist Anthony Wilson knocked off tart unison lines and Hamilton danced melodically with brushes on Bob Dorough's "Devil May Care." Krall's bluesy, tremolo-turned solo on another Cole favorite, "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You" led to a big-band-like episode, as Robert Hurst's bass and Hamilton's athletic fills anchored the ship of swing.
A two-song encore started with the svelte, delicious bossa nova, "'S Wonderful," then featured a nice surprise — the Bee Gees' "How Do You Mend a Broken Heart," a perfect cap to a lovely evening.
A fluid Northwest trio featuring John Stowell on guitar, Jay Thomas on reeds and brass and Chuck Kistler on bass, opened the show with a sweet set that included an innovative bossa nova rendition of Louis Armstrong's "Struttin' With Some Barbecue."
Paul de Barros: 206-464-3247 or pdebarros@seattletimes.com
Concert Review
Motherhood makes singer relaxed, confident on winery stage
By Paul De Barros
Seattle Times jazz critic
Repeat performance
Diana Krall, 7 p.m. Sunday, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Woodinville; $49.50-$99.50 (206-628-0888 or www.ticketmaster.com).
Review
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Woodinville, Saturday night
"You're probably thinking, 'We preferred you when you were shy,'" joked Diana Krall, after a second binge of banter with the crowd at Chateau Ste. Michelle Saturday.
This was the new, chatty, relaxed, post-motherhood Krall on display, and what a pleasant transformation it was from her formerly diffident persona. In a sold-out, marvelously entertaining show undampened by cool weather, Krall not only appeared comfortable with herself but revealed a flair for comedy.
Introducing Cole Porter's "I've Got You Under My Skin," she recalled, "This didn't go over very well at my high school. Most people were playing, oh, I don't know... Elvis Costello songs or something... I got the last laugh."
Costello and Krall married four years ago and they had twin boys last December.
Krall, who repeats at the Chateau Sunday night, showed her change of attitude right from the start. When she strode onstage in baubled spike heels, slim jeans and a long white chemise, she faced the crowd with a full-on smile and "hello" before taking her seat at the piano.
Launching into her up-tempo opener, "I Love Being Here With You," she really seemed to mean it.
Her set turned to many pages of her songbook, but at every turn showcased her subtle and natural jazz-singer's way with a phrase, as she lay behind the beat, jumped ahead of it or suddenly punched (or whispered) a phrase.
Krall reached down to her alto range on "I've Got You Under My Skin," lingering sexily on the phrase, "Don't you kno-o-o-o-w... " Her transition from the chipper bounce of "I Was Doin' Alright," from her new, best-selling album, "From This Moment On," to Joni Mitchell's moody declaration, "A Case of You," was just the right change-up — especially the way Krall stabbed the word "darlin' " each time in the Mitchell song.
Instrumentally, the quartet sparkled. On "'Deed I Do," from her Nat Cole side, Krall and guitarist Anthony Wilson knocked off tart unison lines and Hamilton danced melodically with brushes on Bob Dorough's "Devil May Care." Krall's bluesy, tremolo-turned solo on another Cole favorite, "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You" led to a big-band-like episode, as Robert Hurst's bass and Hamilton's athletic fills anchored the ship of swing.
A two-song encore started with the svelte, delicious bossa nova, "'S Wonderful," then featured a nice surprise — the Bee Gees' "How Do You Mend a Broken Heart," a perfect cap to a lovely evening.
A fluid Northwest trio featuring John Stowell on guitar, Jay Thomas on reeds and brass and Chuck Kistler on bass, opened the show with a sweet set that included an innovative bossa nova rendition of Louis Armstrong's "Struttin' With Some Barbecue."
Paul de Barros: 206-464-3247 or pdebarros@seattletimes.com
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Bud - Moderator
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SeattlePI:Krall delights with inspired versions of standards
by Bud on 13 Aug 2007, 04:12
Getting hard to keep up with the reviews! 
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/pop/327314_krall13q.html
Krall delights with inspired versions of standards
By GENE STOUT
P-I POP MUSIC CRITIC
MUSIC REVIEW
DIANA KRALL
WHEN: Saturday night
WHERE: Chateau St. Michelle
When jazz singer Diana Krall opened her concert Saturday at Chateau Ste. Michelle with a spirited version of the Peggy Lee chestnut "I Love Being Here With You," she sounded as if she meant it.
Fully engaged with her band and her audience throughout a nearly two-hour performance, Krall was a delight on a generous selection of standards by Nat King Cole, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter and other greats.
It was a far more satisfying performance than her July 2004 concert at Chateau Ste. Michelle, a tedious, meandering concert that failed to catch fire.
Krall, in the first of two concerts at the Woodinville winery over a cloudy weekend, was relaxed and in good spirits, offering humorous anecdotes about the weather, the audience and the twin sons born to her and her husband, Elvis Costello, in December.
"The kids are back at the hotel smoking cigars," Krall quipped, making light of the tricky balance between motherhood and career.
Dressed in a white, sequined poncho, with jeans and pumps, the Grammy-winning singer and pianist was backed by guitarist Anthony Wilson, bassist Robert Hurst and drummer Jeff Hamilton, who played (along with bassist John Clayton) on her current album of standards, "From This Moment On." The concert eschewed jazz-star glitz in favor of straightforward music played with relaxed sophistication.
Introducing a gorgeous version of Cole Porter's "I've Got You Under My Skin," Krall quipped that the song "didn't go over well" when she played it at her high school talent show (in Nanaimo, B.C.): "Most people were doing Elvis Costello songs."
Performing against a backdrop of rich-looking fabrics, Krall paid tribute to Nat King Cole, one of her many idols, with a tender, delicate "I'll String Along With You" and a swinging, piano-pounding "Deed I Do."
Krall also paid tribute to fellow Canadian music legend Joni Mitchell with "A Case of You," featuring the memorable lyric, "You're in my blood like holy wine."
A long, reverent version of Irving Berlin's "Let's Face the Music and Dance," performed against a starry backdrop, preceded the final song of the main set, a sumptuous "Come Dance With Me" that began with a stride-influenced introduction.
Krall's encore featured a breezy "S'wonderful" and an inspired "How Do You Mend a Broken Heart," making the Bee Gees song sound more like a jazz standard than a rock classic.
P-I pop music critic Gene Stout can be reached at 206-448-8383 or genestout@seattlepi.com.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/pop/327314_krall13q.html
Krall delights with inspired versions of standards
By GENE STOUT
P-I POP MUSIC CRITIC
MUSIC REVIEW
DIANA KRALL
WHEN: Saturday night
WHERE: Chateau St. Michelle
When jazz singer Diana Krall opened her concert Saturday at Chateau Ste. Michelle with a spirited version of the Peggy Lee chestnut "I Love Being Here With You," she sounded as if she meant it.
Fully engaged with her band and her audience throughout a nearly two-hour performance, Krall was a delight on a generous selection of standards by Nat King Cole, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter and other greats.
It was a far more satisfying performance than her July 2004 concert at Chateau Ste. Michelle, a tedious, meandering concert that failed to catch fire.
Krall, in the first of two concerts at the Woodinville winery over a cloudy weekend, was relaxed and in good spirits, offering humorous anecdotes about the weather, the audience and the twin sons born to her and her husband, Elvis Costello, in December.
"The kids are back at the hotel smoking cigars," Krall quipped, making light of the tricky balance between motherhood and career.
Dressed in a white, sequined poncho, with jeans and pumps, the Grammy-winning singer and pianist was backed by guitarist Anthony Wilson, bassist Robert Hurst and drummer Jeff Hamilton, who played (along with bassist John Clayton) on her current album of standards, "From This Moment On." The concert eschewed jazz-star glitz in favor of straightforward music played with relaxed sophistication.
Introducing a gorgeous version of Cole Porter's "I've Got You Under My Skin," Krall quipped that the song "didn't go over well" when she played it at her high school talent show (in Nanaimo, B.C.): "Most people were doing Elvis Costello songs."
Performing against a backdrop of rich-looking fabrics, Krall paid tribute to Nat King Cole, one of her many idols, with a tender, delicate "I'll String Along With You" and a swinging, piano-pounding "Deed I Do."
Krall also paid tribute to fellow Canadian music legend Joni Mitchell with "A Case of You," featuring the memorable lyric, "You're in my blood like holy wine."
A long, reverent version of Irving Berlin's "Let's Face the Music and Dance," performed against a starry backdrop, preceded the final song of the main set, a sumptuous "Come Dance With Me" that began with a stride-influenced introduction.
Krall's encore featured a breezy "S'wonderful" and an inspired "How Do You Mend a Broken Heart," making the Bee Gees song sound more like a jazz standard than a rock classic.
P-I pop music critic Gene Stout can be reached at 206-448-8383 or genestout@seattlepi.com.
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Bud - Moderator
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- Location: Northern VA, just outside of Washington, DC
by Coda on 13 Aug 2007, 15:03
Thanks for finding these reviews, Bud. Interesting to compare and contrast them. Both honed in on the first song, saying that Diana sang it as if she meant it. On contrast, though, the shoes got quite different coverage! One reviewer called them pumps, while the other said they were "baubled spike heels." I like the "baubled spike heels" description better! 
Nice that Diana on this tour is so relaxed and having fun playing for her audiences. I love her line about getting the last laugh.
Nice that Diana on this tour is so relaxed and having fun playing for her audiences. I love her line about getting the last laugh.
- Coda
- Black Crow
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- Joined: 20 May 2004, 21:54
- Location: Michigan, USA
by gundy516 on 14 Aug 2007, 18:18
Got back last night from Seattle; sitting at my desk this morning having coffee from my new 'Diana Krall' mug!!!!
WOW And WOW again! Both concerts were absolutely great! The only other concert I had been to was Diana's last tour showcasing 'The Girl in the Other Room' songs, so I had not had the pleasure of hearing many of the songs she's performing on this tour!
Portland Show: Wonderful, she looked great! We were 12 rows back center stage. What a great view. Diana looked gorgeous in black dress with her gold/seguin heels. I along with the rest of the sold out audience enjoyed a seemingly happier, more comfortable Diana. She has great wit which I think surprised many. I can't remember all the songs she did but the opening number "I Love Being Here with You' set the stage for a wonderful evening. She injured one finger on her right hand and even found humor in that as there was apparently a little blood on the keys which she had to continuously wipe off; she did ask for a bandage, tried it and then tossed it away and went on playing! Loved her Shirley Horn number, 'Just Found Out About Love', and when she started to play her last encore number by the Bee Gees you could hear a pin drop at points, just a very lovely performance. The accoustics at the Keller Auditorium are great and this was a wonderful show which I won't forget!
Seattle Show: We went to the Sunday evening show (We only had general admission for this one so were not nearly as close to the stage) and I know the reveiws were great as was Diana! Much more relaxed atmosphere (of course with several thousand people drinking wine it would be!). Diana again looked great; was in jeans and a tourquoise tunic, and of course heels! She said after the first two numbers that she's intimidated because she could see everybody as it was still fairly light out. She was very relaxed though, even at one point turned around on her piano bench and waved at the audience. There were several late arrivers (they had to walk right in front of the stage to get to their seats) and she did acknowledge them, with a 'well hello, your very late aren't you?". There was also one guy that got up for a 'potty break' he said and Diana began to play the theme from 'Rocky' 9the guy had a leather jacket and must have had that look to him), which led into her chatting about highschool and how kids in the 12th grade were listening to Elvis Costello when she was playing Irving Berlin, but she got the last laugh! It was very enjoyable to watch and listen to her 'chat' with the crowd; I loved it! She did sing several different songs from the Portland show. She sang one of my favorites, 'I've Got You Under My Skin', breathtaking! Both shows were just great; I don't know which was better, but I do know I will go again and again whenever she's up our way!
Coda, the one reviewer must not have looked closely as she indeed wore the 'baubled spike heels' and looked fantastic in them.
Can't wait till the next show!
WOW And WOW again! Both concerts were absolutely great! The only other concert I had been to was Diana's last tour showcasing 'The Girl in the Other Room' songs, so I had not had the pleasure of hearing many of the songs she's performing on this tour!
Portland Show: Wonderful, she looked great! We were 12 rows back center stage. What a great view. Diana looked gorgeous in black dress with her gold/seguin heels. I along with the rest of the sold out audience enjoyed a seemingly happier, more comfortable Diana. She has great wit which I think surprised many. I can't remember all the songs she did but the opening number "I Love Being Here with You' set the stage for a wonderful evening. She injured one finger on her right hand and even found humor in that as there was apparently a little blood on the keys which she had to continuously wipe off; she did ask for a bandage, tried it and then tossed it away and went on playing! Loved her Shirley Horn number, 'Just Found Out About Love', and when she started to play her last encore number by the Bee Gees you could hear a pin drop at points, just a very lovely performance. The accoustics at the Keller Auditorium are great and this was a wonderful show which I won't forget!
Seattle Show: We went to the Sunday evening show (We only had general admission for this one so were not nearly as close to the stage) and I know the reveiws were great as was Diana! Much more relaxed atmosphere (of course with several thousand people drinking wine it would be!). Diana again looked great; was in jeans and a tourquoise tunic, and of course heels! She said after the first two numbers that she's intimidated because she could see everybody as it was still fairly light out. She was very relaxed though, even at one point turned around on her piano bench and waved at the audience. There were several late arrivers (they had to walk right in front of the stage to get to their seats) and she did acknowledge them, with a 'well hello, your very late aren't you?". There was also one guy that got up for a 'potty break' he said and Diana began to play the theme from 'Rocky' 9the guy had a leather jacket and must have had that look to him), which led into her chatting about highschool and how kids in the 12th grade were listening to Elvis Costello when she was playing Irving Berlin, but she got the last laugh! It was very enjoyable to watch and listen to her 'chat' with the crowd; I loved it! She did sing several different songs from the Portland show. She sang one of my favorites, 'I've Got You Under My Skin', breathtaking! Both shows were just great; I don't know which was better, but I do know I will go again and again whenever she's up our way!
Coda, the one reviewer must not have looked closely as she indeed wore the 'baubled spike heels' and looked fantastic in them.
Can't wait till the next show!
- gundy516
- Big Foot
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- Joined: 05 Aug 2004, 17:43
- Location: Spokane, WA, USA
by imnoangel1975 on 14 Aug 2007, 20:38
Great recap, Sue! She does have a quick wit, doesn't she? Very clever lady, that one.
~Angelique
"you may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one"
"you may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one"
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imnoangel1975 - Big Foot
- Posts: 310
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- Location: San Francisco
by gundy516 on 14 Aug 2007, 21:26
I forgot to also mention she talked about her boys. Diana mentioned she had taken 'her boys' into the city on Sunday afternoon; but they were back at the hotel that night. She said they were probably 'smokin cigars and jumping on the beds'! She does have a great wit and sense of humor!
- gundy516
- Big Foot
- Posts: 344
- Joined: 05 Aug 2004, 17:43
- Location: Spokane, WA, USA
by Samuel on 15 Aug 2007, 00:38
by myself wrote:Interestingly, after her mother died and she married Costello, Krall went on a songwriting binge that was more personal and stylistically up-to-date for the album "The Girl in the Other Room" — but many fans considered it a betrayal.
What? Impossible!!! A true fan really do not considered it a betrayal.
Then, why do you think about it?
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Samuel - Lost Mind
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by Bud on 15 Aug 2007, 02:53
Thanks for the review, Sue! It sounds like Diana was having a great time during both your concerts.
I'm still kicking myself for not grabbing one in Providence, thinking - mistakenly - that they'd have them on sale at Wolf Trap
gundy516 wrote:Got back last night from Seattle; sitting at my desk this morning having coffee from my new 'Diana Krall' mug!!!!
I'm still kicking myself for not grabbing one in Providence, thinking - mistakenly - that they'd have them on sale at Wolf Trap
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Bud - Moderator
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