Eugene Register-Guard: Pursuit of 'magic' keeps Krall going

[Bud]

http://www.registerguard.com/news/2007/ ... ion=ticket

CONCERT PREVIEW
Pursuit of 'magic' keeps Krall going as an artist
By Serena Markstrom
The Register-Guard
Published: Friday, August 3, 2007

Diana Krall has experienced success beyond most people's dreams.

She's got a Grammy, plus a few Junos from her home country of Canada. She's gone multiplatinum in the United States and abroad. And she has a respected musician named Elvis for a husband and twin boys, just born in December.

She's even got an endorsement deal touting the sound system in the Lexus brand of luxury cars.

Yet when it comes to her music, Krall said she often experiences "divine dissatisfaction." Each night before the jazz vocalist and pianist performs, she wonders if she will find the magic that night.

"I never go up there and say, 'I've got it. I've got it down,' " she said during a brief phone conversation from the road. "I'm always a bit frightened when I go up. Not frightened, but I'm not dug in.
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"How can I make it different? How can I make it better? It's part of what we do as artists.

"If we weren't frustrated, we wouldn't keep going. You still enjoy it, but you are always trying to find the magic."

Wednesday night at the Cuthbert Amphitheater, Krall and fellow jazz musician Chris Botti will see if they can find the magic as the summer outdoor concert season begins to peak.

Krall shot to fame in 1999 after the release of "When I Look in Your Eyes," the internationally best-selling album that won a Grammy for best jazz vocal performance. It was the first jazz album in 25 years to be nominated for album of the year, according to the All Music Guide.

Her latest release, "From This Moment On," captures the blissful completeness her life now has. (She's married to Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Elvis Costello, with whom she recorded an album.) On "Moment," she sticks to standards such as "It Could Happen to You" and "I Was Doing Alright."

Krall said she is working on another release and is in the process of scouring every possible source for material she would like to record.

The self-taught vocalist said she is never done learning, that she continues to grow by listening to other singers, working with mentors and trying to follow her intuition and instincts.

"It's constantly trial and error and maturity and trust and intuition and listening to a million singers," she said. "It's more than just teaching yourself to sing and about theory. It's bigger than that.

"It's a lifelong process of finding your way artistically. That's what keeps us going."

Botti grew up in Corvallis and started performing at age 10.

An instrumentalist best known for his trumpet, Botti has gone on to collaborate with some of the biggest names in music, including tours with Sting and Paul Simon.

On his latest album, "To Love Again," Sting, Paula Cole, Michael Bublé, Jill Scott, Gladys Knight and Steven Tyler all contribute vocals.

CONCERT PREVIEW
Diana Krall and Chris Botti
What: Jazz
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Cuthbert Amphitheater, 555 Day Island Road

[Samuel]

"I never go up there and say, 'I've got it. I've got it down,' " she said during a brief phone conversation from the road. "I'm always a bit frightened when I go up. Not frightened, but I'm not dug in.
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"How can I make it different? How can I make it better? It's part of what we do as artists.

"If we weren't frustrated, we wouldn't keep going. You still enjoy it, but you are always trying to find the magic."

Diana Krall it's great but too human.
Thanks for article Bud!

[Bud]

A short but revealing interview.

One correction to the article. Diana has more than "a" Grammy, not even counting those that Al Schmitt has earned. WILIYE won Best Jazz Vocal Performance (as the author mentioned), and LiP earned Best Jazz Vocal Album. She's had quite a few nominations along the way too, of course...

[Samuel]

Saying in Grammy...

Diana will be in the next?

[jazzanddianafan]

Well, I know of at least two members who are going to this concert (myself and harpfingers), so look forward to a report soon !!

[harpfingers]

WOOHOO! I can't wait! One of my friends I found out is also a Krallaholic. She heard me mention it at girls night out. She and her husband already had tickets, so we are going to have dinner before hand. I am SOOO excited to hear Diana live again. And to hear Chris Botti - an Oregonian!

So Greg, with all of your connections - do you have backstage passes to this event?

[jazzanddianafan]

Still working on it, Jeralee..... Diana has bend the night before and Potland the next night - not sure if backstage is a possibility yet.... I am in row EE, seat 105..... stop over and say hi !!

[harpfingers]

Are you doing the Portland concert? I'm not - have too much going on. Going to go to "Babes in Arms" at the Hult on Thurs.

I will say hi! Our seats are GG 206 and 207.

Have you seen anything else at the Cuthbert? I have never been to a concert there, so not quite sure where to park. Over at Alton Baker or at Autzen?

[jazzanddianafan]

I am not going up to Portland - Las Vegas and here in Eugene is going to have to be enough DK for this year !....

I have been to the Cuthbert before - saw Lyle Lovett, Bonnie Raitt, and Keb Mo last year.... in past years I have done the blanket on the lawn thing - but mostly I buy actual seats up front now-a-days. There is plenty of parking all arround - it just depends on how far you want to walk after parking ! I usually take in a cooler with picnic munchies in it - which they allow (they don't allow you to bring in wine, but sometimes you can put it in a different container and get it past them).

BTW, Pink Martini is going to be at the HUlt on September 22nd.... tickets are already selling fast, but they are worth it if you area available.... I got lucky and snagged 2nd row ,center seats for that one !

See you tomorrow night !

[jazzygal karla]

I surely hope that when Diana swings her way into Canada for this tour that Botti still has the opening gig. I saw him play here in my hometown a little while back, and I really enjoyed his trumpet.