FTMO Articles/ Reviews

[johnfoyle]

This review is just the kind of jaded tosh that this painfully hip magazine spits out ; it also illustrates why Elvis Costello has so little time or inclination for his birthplace.


http://www.timeout.com/london/music/features/1917.html

Time Out , London

Kerstan Mackness, Mon Sep 4

Jazz's young scenesters

Are there too many young jazz singers out there? And can they all cut it? We're not sure they can, but knows who’s to blame?

With sales of guitars reportedly going through the roof in the last few years, you might be forgiven for thinking that everyone under the age of 25 wants to be in the next Arctic Monkeys. But, it would appear, there seems to be almost as many people of a similar age who want to sing showtunes and jazz standards written 50 years before they were born. Pick any date at random from Time Out’s music listings, and you might find around 20 indie bands playing around London, but also more than half that number of jazz singers plying their trade on the same night. You’ll also find several long-running ‘singers nights’ – where hopeful punters come and croon, with accompaniment provided by an in-house piano trio.

So what the hell is going on? How did singing standards in the impoverished world of jazz become perceived as a ‘Pop Idol’-like shortcut to success? Some point to the success of Jamie Cullum, Canadian crooner Michael Bublé or Americana-tinged jazz diva Norah Jones who, between them, have shifted more than 30 million albums. But a more crucial precursor to the whole boom might be Diana Krall, the Canadian pianist and singer who releases her eleventh album this week.

When Krall burst onto the scene ten years ago, she was not only half a century younger than legends like Betty Carter but, unlike them, she also eschewed the usual jazz practice of using standards as a vehicle for improvisation. Instead of turning each song inside out, she employed a back-to-basics approach, performing sensual, swinging, beautifully understated versions of classic songs, and succeeded in connecting with the public. She became a proper star complete with celebrity fans (Bill Clinton, Clint Eastwood) and a famous husband (Elvis Costello, with whom she’s expecting a child later this year). With worldwide sales of nearly 15 million, she’s become a global brand: you can buy yourself a Diana Krall karaoke CD in US supermarkets, and you’ll even find her calendars hanging next to Justin Timberlake’s in such unlikely outlets as Singapore Airport.

Krall’s lucky break was to tap into a seemingly vast appetite for the familiar, and her new album ‘From This Moment On’ is the sort of gently swinging, snoozy stroll through the Great American Songbook that Parky loves and you suspect Krall could cut in her sleep. But what’s mystifying is why Krall has chosen to play it so safe. Her last album, ‘Girl In The Corner’ (huh? -J.F.) largely comprised original material co-written with hubby Costello and was a deeper, bleaker affair that had the critics purring and suggested a more interesting artist. Despite being critically acclaimed and selling well – reaching Number 3 in the UK album chart and selling 180,000 in the UK alone – word is that her record company weren’t too enamoured of her new darker sound. ‘What we wanted was another “The Look Of Love”,’ said one executive, referring to her massively successful 2001 album of jazz standards. ‘What we got was a fucking miserable Elvis Costello album.’

Its successor, ‘From This Moment On’, isn’t a bad album. Her languid, sensual version of ‘Little Girl Blue’ is sublime – with every nuance, shrug and phrase counting for something – it’s just that the record seems so limited in its stylistic aspirations. And this narrowness has filtered down to other young singers who seem reluctant to move beyond the Krall-authorised blueprint. Even pop kitten Christina Aguilera has has started impudently namechecking jazz divas in an attempt to add her herself to a lineage that might include Billie and Ella. Likewise, retro London trio The Puppini Sisters mine the same jazz nostalgia seam with their oh-so-ironic update on The Andrews Sisters.

It smacks of a deliberate marketing ploy to remind us that, pre-Elvis, jazz was the pop of its day. It’s easy to see why a major record company might want to tap into that nostalgia: unlike with most rock bands, there’s no need to write your own hits (why bother when there’s half a century of standards to choose from?) and record companies don’t even have to keep a regular band in their employ. But it’s much harder to understand why a young singer trying to make a name for herself (they’re still mostly women) would want to trample on such well- trodden ground.

Paul Pace has been running a singers’ night every Wednesday at the Spice Of Life in Soho for over eight years that acts as something of a microcosm of the whole scene. His night attracts a friendly, mostly listening audience aged between 25 and 45 and features a mini set from an up-and-coming singer, a longer set from a more established jazz name and an ‘X-Factor’-style open-mic slot that’s often as compelling as a car-crash. But what’s really struck Pace is how young a lot of the singers are: ‘There are tons of young singers around at the moment and there seem to be more and more every year. And, sad to say, few of them can really cut it. You get a sense that a lot of them want to be stars but aren’t prepared to really put the work in learning their trade.’

Claire Martin (who – alongside Ian Shaw, Liane Carroll and Norma Winstone – is one of Britain’s few true world-class jazz singers) is surprised at how some of them are getting away with it: ‘I wonder if they can really hear themselves. It’s not enough to be frocked up and playing the sex card. It’s become like reality TV, no one knows what’s good any more.’

Ian Shaw agrees: ‘A lot of these women just sound bland. They have websites that make them look like Revlon girls and they’re trying to tap into Krall’s sultriness, but they haven’t got any chops. The problem is that while Krall’s the real deal influenced by Carmen McRae and Shirley Horn, so many young singers just mimic her sexy, laid-back approach without appreciating Krall’s musicianship.’

As Martin says: ‘I really appreciate Krall’s craft. She’s a great pianist but I’d love her to take more risks, both in material and delivery,’ and it’s those risks that drive the real jazz singers. Artists like Martin and Shaw are driven by an impulse to improvise, to create anew on the hoof every night, that’s a million miles from the straitjacket of perfect pop renditions. But it seems that less and less people are drawn to rhythmic and harmonic invention in favour of a pretty face and a blandly beautiful jazzy voice. Take jazz’s latest kooky poster girl Madeleine Peyroux, whose new album ‘Half The Perfect World’ is out in November. She’s been lauded as the new Billie Holiday but in reality peddles an agreeably nostalgic, bland approximation of Holiday’s on-the-edge brilliance.

What Peyroux has done is to move beyond the Great American Songbook, featuring songs from Tom Waits, Joni Mitchell and Fred Neil alongside the standards and originals. There are others exploring a similarly wide range of influences, like intense folk-jazz songstress Christine Tobin or the beautifully expressive Jacqui Dankworth (both more influenced by Cassandra Wilson than Diana Krall) but it’s harder for these singers to break through. As Jon Newey, editor of industry bible Jazzwise, says: ‘It’s so unimaginative in material and style. They all just copy each other. My advice is ask yourself have I really got it? Can I be as good as Claire Martin or Ian Shaw? If the answer’s no then don’t give up the day job.’

Diana Krall’s new album ‘From This Moment On’ is out on Verve this Monday

[Bud]

Thanks johnfoyle...

you’ll even find her calendars hanging next to Justin Timberlake’s in such unlikely outlets as Singapore Airport.

Anyone ever see one of these?

Ian Shaw agrees: ‘A lot of these women just sound bland. They have websites that make them look like Revlon girls and they’re trying to tap into Krall’s sultriness, but they haven’t got any chops. The problem is that while Krall’s the real deal influenced by Carmen McRae and Shirley Horn, so many young singers just mimic her sexy, laid-back approach without appreciating Krall’s musicianship.’

Couldn't have been said better. Diana has held my attention for a long time because of what she is - the real deal.

[Coda]

Right now, my favorite song from the album is: "Isn't This a Lovely Day?"

[MissWaikiki]

it's my favorite, too A great song!!

[Bud]

A bit of an exaggeration on the first sentence...

http://free.financialmail.co.za/06/1117/life/glife.htm

JAZZ CD REVIEW

From a Krall to a sprint

By Don Albert

After her disastrous last CD, The Girl in the Other Room, Diana Krall has returned with possibly her best album yet, From This Moment On, on Verve.

She's back doing what she does best, singing and playing the standards. She is accompanied on seven tracks by The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, one of the finest big bands in the world today, and sings with a quartet on the remaining five tracks. And so, with its brilliant repertoire, this CD is bound to see Krall topping the jazz charts once again.

She exudes class, as well as a warm maturity that is most appealing.

"It could happen to you" is taken at an easy, groovy tempo that builds up to an exciting pace, with Krall singing over the top of the band the way Ol' Blue Eyes used to do with Billy May.

"Isn't it a lovely day", complete with verse, is beautiful, and the short trumpet obbligato of Terrell Stafford recalls Louis Armstrong. "How insensitive" has Krall breathing the words against a subtle Latin rhythm and a fat brass sound from the orchestra. "Exactly like you" is taken at a relaxed 2/4 feel over which she plays some nice single finger piano lines.

A few standouts: "From this moment on" roars from start to finish; "I was doing alright" is a stroll in the park; "Little girl blue" is heartfelt; "Day in day out" has a kind of Basie feel about it; and "Willow weep for me" slows things down a bit.

But its "Come dance with me" that gets the mood grooving again.

The only track I'm not crazy about is "The boulevard of broken dreams".

Otherwise, on a CD filled with highs, my favourite track is "You can depend on me", for various reasons, from the gorgeous tempo to the solos, the backing and obviously her sincere singing.

Mention must be made of guitarist Anthony Wilson, who shines whenever called upon to solo.

John Clayton's bass playing is solid and Jeff Hamilton is one of the most complete drummers on the scene today. His brush work and tempo on "You can depend on me", though unflashy, is awesome.

[scielle]

Funny... Girl In The Other Room happens to be my favourite DK album, and Boulevard of Broken Dreams my favourite track on the current one - so to each his own, I guess.

[Coda]

Why does this reviewer feel that he has to trash one album in order to praise another? In my opinion, "disastrous" is a nonsense word to use in connection with the GITOR album. To me, it's like saying that blue is a disastrous color compared to yellow. GITOR was more blue/melancholy and FTMO is is yellow/hopeful. So what?

Otherwise, I think his review of FTMO is all right. And that's my review of the reviewer.

[Bud]

Source: http://www.star-ecentral.com/music/revi ... &sec=Music

From This Moment On

Artist: DIANA KRALL
(Verve/Universal)

Reviewer: HARDESH SINGH
DIANA Krall’s latest album finds her tackling jazz standards from the big cats; Cole Porter, the Gershwins and Antonio Carlos Jobim to name a few. Fans have probably heard her deliver these standards in a live setting, but what sets this album apart is the accompaniment provided by the Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, which is featured on eight of the 12 tracks here.

As a singer, Krall sounds more at ease and playful, no longer just a poster girl to tempt non-jazz listeners. She seems to have earned quite a few scars since The Girl in the Other Room, delivering these masterpieces with a sense of authority that only a worn-out soul can.

Jobim’s How Insensitive is a standout track, easily one of the best takes on this classic that I’ve heard. As good as this album is, the credit really should go to John Clayton, bassist and arranger, for putting together some of the remarkable orchestral arrangements.

In fact, I dare say that if it wasn’t for the Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, this album would have been rather ordinary, which the remaining four tracks performed by Krall and her trio seem to confirm. She can play a mean piano, and sure as hell can sing, but this album is a must-have purely for its extraordinary musicality.

[Bud]

A (mixed) review from Coda's neck of the woods:

Source: http://www.metrotimes.com/editorial/rev ... ?id=112960

When Diana Krall deviated from her usual interpretative approach to golden-era love songs for 2004's largely self-penned Girl in the Other Room, she proved songwriting wasn't one of her greater strengths. But few contemporary jazz vocalists can infuse love songs with such warmth, and for From This Moment On, Krall returns to her usual source material. There is one slight modification: the accompaniment of the outstanding Clayton/Hamilton Orchestra, a format she first experimented with on 1998's When I Look in Your Eyes. Krall is comfortable working in front an orchestra — it never overpowers her. The title cut is a misfit; the orchestra seems to be running too fast, and she's struggling to keep up. But one bad song on an otherwise nearly flawless album is nothing to fret over. When Krall purrs on the ballads "Little Girl Blue" and "Willow Weep for Me," her voice is so cozy and relaxing that it makes you want to curl up in her lap. And while she's rarely given props for being an excellent pianist, her touch is as delicate as her voice, and the melody lines she plays on the ballads are as deft as a surgeon's hands.

Krall hit the national spotlight in 1993 with her debut Stepping Out. She's released more than 10 albums since, sold millions of copies, won a Grammy and married Elvis Costello. Not a shabby list of accomplishments, but as her return to the American Songbook on this record proves, it's a comfortable niche that serves her best.
ADVERTISEMENT
Dine Out

Charles L. Latimer writes about music for Metro Times. Send comments to letters@metrotimes.com.

[Coda]

Thanks, Bud. I don't always pick up the Metro Times -- glad you found the review. I think the review is good overall, but I'm growing intrigued by the individual reviewers' takes on different songs. Personally, I love the pace of "From This Moment On," so I disagree with this reviewer. I also disagree with another reviewer who loved "How Insensitive." Actually, that's my least favorite song interpretation on the CD -- I feel it would have been better simply with Diana's voice and the guitar, not with the whole orchestra. Otherwise, I LOVE the orchestra on the other songs, and the pace of the songs.

[Bud]

There is a short video of Diana on Amazon's FTMO page. It combines performance clips and an interview. Here's the link:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... pictu09-20

[Coda]

Nice short work...I wound up so wanting to hear the end of "Little Girl Blue!" From the snippets of interview, it's obvious Diana has a huge sound clip library in her head.

[Bud]

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=24235

Can't agree with how this starts, but its nice she's on the list anyway:

Diana Krall
From This Moment On
Verve

Having lost her way the on last few albums due to a focus on her own material, Krall returns to a jazzy groove, covering the standards in her own sweet way with the jovial backing of the Clayton-Hamilton Big Band.

[Bud]

I haven't been able to watch any of them yet, but AOL Video has a number of FTMO videos:

http://video.aol.com/video-search/id/2277033845

[christratton]

... I do think that David Was was unjustifiably harsh in his critique of Diana's vocals. I smell the presence of the Jazz Police! He has a couple new anecdotes, but to me they just show a difference of opinion in how to sing a song. I would hope that jazz would have room for a variety of styles and freedom of expression.

I agree, Coda. Was feels an awful lot like one of the many who envy DK's degree of success and popularity. He reads something like "OK, I admit she's an amazing live performer, but c'mon, folks, in the recording studio she verges on insipid." Bespeaks one eaten up with envy. I have little use or time for such smallness. Interestingly, the outro to this NPR piece, IIRC, says pointedly, with an edge in the female announcer's voice, "If you disagree with this one, you can e-mail us at blah_blah@npr.org." I read this along the lines of, "If this ticked you off as much as he did me, PLEASE WRITE IN AND COMPLAIN!" I got a chuckle out of that.

-CS