Krall takes a darker and deeper look inside

[Rémi]

Krall takes a darker and deeper look inside

By DAVE TIANEN
dtianen@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Aug. 7, 2004

Diana Krall has been living in an emotional cross-fire.

In 2002, her mother died after an eight-year struggle with a rare form of blood cancer. In close proximity, Krall also lost two dear musical friends, Rosemary Clooney and Ray Brown.

Last year, at 39, she married Elvis Costello. This spring she released her new album, "The Girl in the Other Room," and had it go to No. 4 on the Billboard 200, her highest chart position to date.

Given that emotional roller coaster, it's not surprising that "The Girl in the Other Room" is a darker, more complex effort than her 2001 release, "The Look of Love," a collection of mostly '50s and '60s cover tunes. "The Girl in the Other Room" has six songs co-written with Costello and is the first Krall album to feature original material.

It also represents a step back from the glamorous promotion and photography that buttressed Krall's sexy image on "The Look of Love."

She bristles a bit when it's suggested that the babe factor has been ratcheted down for "The Girl in the Other Room."

"That was my doing," she says. "That's because singing about your mother's death and other things aren't exactly a showcase for that kind of thing. You've got to have a sense of humor here. Don't think I don't have a smile on my face when I say that."

Pictures were her choice

At the same time, she emphasizes that the sexy packaging for "Look" was her choice as well.

"Obviously I react a little aggressively to that because I have to keep explaining that I wanted to do those pictures with Bruce Weber. The record company suggested we airbrush the pictures with my cleavage into something more conservative and I went, 'Look. I've done the pictures, I'm just going to put it out there. I feel confident about the music.' "

Certainly the confidence is still there. Among other things, "Other Room" showcases Krall's skills as a pianist far more than her previous outing did.

"I didn't have an agenda," she says. "I just started writing. I knew I didn't want to do an orchestra record, but it wasn't, like, 'I'm going to play more piano on this record.' I was playing a lot, so I was more confident, maybe. I was on tour before going in the studio, so it was just where I was at artistically. I felt more confident because I was playing every night."

Given the circumstances and all the original material, "Other Room" is Krall's most personal album to date. Of course, given her track record as the biggest selling jazz-pop artist in the realm, there was some attendant risk.

"I said, 'Well, look. If this record is the one that is my whatever, . . . my personal art piece, and it doesn't do as well, then I'm willing to put that on the line because this is what I can do at this point. This is what I want to do.'
"The record company was completely supportive and behind it, and everybody was, like, 'yep.' There was no pressure to do something like what gave me my initial success. So, of course, the thing goes to number four on the Billboard charts."

When asked if her fans should expect more original material in the future, Krall hesitates.

"I don't know. I think I'm lucky that I can do both. . . . I don't do well with comfort zones. I do for a while, but I'm always searching. I played so many piano bars when I was making a living, so it's not, like, a new thing for me. I just want to be inspired."

She has used the inspiration of her mother to do something positive in her name. Earlier this year, Krall did a benefit with Costello and close friend Elton John to raise money for a new outpatient wing at Vancouver General Hospital, where her mother was treated.

"My mother was a very joyful person," she says. "She was 60 when she passed away. Her idea was she could not choose whether to have cancer or not, but she could pick her response. She was joyful, and I learned from that."

Source: JS Online