Diana plays Toronto, april 30 & may 1, 2009

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April 30: http://www.ticketmaster.ca/event/100042 ... norcatid=4

May 1: http://www.ticketmaster.ca/event/100042 ... norcatid=4

[Bud]

Presale password: http://presalepasswordticket.com/diana- ... in-toronto

[narrow daylight]

http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/K/Kra ... 6-sun.html


Massey Hall, Toronto - April 30, 2009

Diana Krall, the devoted wife and mother, made a major appearance on Thursday night during the first of the jazz-pop singer-pianist's two back-to-back sold-out shows at Massey Hall.

In fact, I've never seen the 44-year-old so forthcoming, funny, loose and vulnerable about her personal life during a concert performance.

Clearly, marriage and motherhood agrees with the Nanaimo, B.C. native, who explained she has her two-and-a-half twin boys - Dexter and Frank - in tow with her on the tour bus as she makes her way across the country in support of her latest album, the bossa-nova dominated Quiet Nights.

Krall said Dexter had even pointed out what he thought were mommy's tour buses until she corrected him.

"Those are Slipknot's buses - stay away from them," she said to silence before joking. "So no one at my show knows who Slipknot is."

For the record, mother and children spent the day looking at dinosaurs at the ROM and later jumped in puddles.

Sadly, her husband Elvis Costello was en route to London on Thursday night.

"I love my husband," said Krall, by way of introducing one of his favourite songs, I've Grown Accustomed To His Face, that she was about to perform.

"And he loves Canada. We get to spend a lot of time together - NOT! Yeah, it sucks. But I'll see him soon."

At that point, Krall got a little choked up. But not for long.

Krall later joked that her knowledge of obscure pop culture - in this case Pete Kelly's Blues for which one of her favourite composers, Peggy Lee, got an Oscar nomination - never made her any friends in Grade 8, but she was now having the last laugh.

"They were listening to Elvis Costello," she said of her aloof schoolmates before adding with a grin: "But I married the rock star."

Backed by the accomplished trio of drummer Jeff Hamilton, bassist Robert Hurst and guitarist Anthony Wilson - who all broke out solos early and often including one featuring Hurst using a bow on his instrument - and the 45-piece Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Alan Broadbent, Krall took her place at the piano at the beginning of her hour-and-45-minute performance and never left her stool.

And while her piano playing is far superior to her vocals - her deep husky voice is certainly sexy but doesn't have much range or strength - Krall can certainly sell a song as she did on such highlights as I Love Being Here With You, 'Deed I Do, the title track from Quiet Nights, Love Letters, Walk On By, I Don't Know Enough About You and The Look Of Love.

She even threw in a moving cover of Joni Mitchell's A Case Of You, accompanying just herself on piano, and explained that she was playing Pick Yourself Up, a favourite of her late mother's, once again after hearing U.S. President Barack Obama use the phrase in his Inauguration speech.

Krall also admitted to dancing on a bar with guitarist Wilson drunkenly in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the night that Obama was elected president and getting critiqued by a piano player in a stuffy club in Washington - even she was required to wear a tie - after playing for Obama at a tribute to Stevie Wonder.

For the record, the piano player said she could improve her left hand playing, make better use of the piano pedals and show more leg.

"You're laughing, but I wasn't laughing," said Krall.

So maybe she didn't take the guy's advice to heart, but she's clearly lightened up as a performer and it suits her.

SET LIST:

I Love Being Here With You
Do it Again
Let's Fall in Love
Where or When
I've Grown Accustomed to His Face
'Deed I Do
Exactly Like You
A Case Of You
Devil May Care
Quiet Nights
Love Letters
Pick Yourself Up
Walk on By
I Don't Know Enough About You
ENCORE
The Look of Love
-----------------------------------------
http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/627182

Krall, the interpreter, misses only a signature

(3 out of 4)

Kicking off the first of two Toronto shows, Diana "Everywoman" Krall impressed the capacity Massey Hall audience with her mellow vocals, assured playing and illustrative patter about life with toddler twins and husband Elvis Costello.

The devoted wife and mother by day and jazz-piano-playing singer by night – who somewhere in between acts as the producer of Barbra Streisand's forthcoming album – has refined just about everything except her songwriting.

Krall hasn't turned in an original song since fans failed to embrace the fledgling, autobiographical co-written efforts of 2004's The Girl in the Other Room.

The result is a performer with a wide catalogue – The American Songbook is her playground – but a dearth of signature tunes.

Last night, the only song that drew anticipatory applause with its introductory bars was the encore – 2001's "The Look of Love" from her breakthrough album of the same name.

Fortunately, she is a compelling interpreter who imbued Joni Mitchell's "Case of You" and My Fair Lady's "I've Grown Accustomed to his Face" with enough hair-splitting nuance to conjure both dread and devotion.

She also displayed versatility – though no scatting this time – whether moving at a spirited clip ("I Love Being Here With You") or delivering a seductive lullaby (I swear I heard her stifle a yawn on "Quiet Nights").

The Nanaimo, B.C., native is halfway through a month-long Canadian tour that includes her quartet – nimble guitarist Anthony Wilson, fleet-sticked drummer Jeff Hamilton, song-stealing bassist Robert Hurst – and the 40-piece Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Alan Broadbent.

Clad in a classy, knee-length black dress and glittering heels, she worked at connecting with the audience, a mature, camera-phone-free crowd.

The dominant theme of her meandering patter was striking a work/life balance with her "rock star" husband and "amazing" children. That meant anecdotes about travelling with nannies, seeing dinosaurs at the ROM, and Costello's itinerary (he's in London).

And underneath was the working mom's fear that she isn't managing it all well. Evidenced in Krall's case by the story she tells about recently tickling the ivories in a Washington piano bar and having the elderly house player, unaware of her identity, instructing her to work on her left hand and show a little more leg if she wants to have a future in music.

[paul formerly pauls]

Sounds very close to her show in Hamilton. Same orchestra too. Similar setlist. All in all a good show, not a great show. Only three tunes where they were really swingin'. In Devil May Care, she missed something in her playing and joked about it. From that point she and Jeff went for it, great back and forth in the number, Jeff was incredible. Went on for 5 minutes, best part of the show. Wish her encore was something livelier. She looked good.

[jazzygal karla]

No 'signature' tune?

Bah, humbug! Since when in this important?

I'd say most people would think 'Peel Me a Grape' is the closest thing. Now, while I've been guilty of wanting to hear particular Krall tunes when attending her concerts, it's not like I hate everything else she plays or covers. I was thrilled she varied her set list to include stuff from so many albums past when she breezed through my hometown.

[Coda]

I've taken my kids to see the dinosaurs at ROM, too! If only all those dinosaurs could talk....

Anyway, nice reviews.