DIANA KRALL: "This Dream Of You"

Original released on CD Verve 3519113

(AUSTRALIA 2020, September 25)

Diana Krall reunited with Tommy LiPuma, the producer who worked with her for the first decade-and-a-half of her career, for "Turn Up The Quiet", a 2017 album that found the pianist returning to the Great American Songbook interpretations that made her name. LiPuma died just before the release of "Turn Up the Quiet", prompting Krall to fashion a quasi-tribute to her collaborator from the album's leftovers. The ensuing "This Dream of You" is hushed and reserved, a leisurely stroll through quite familiar standards augmented by a version of Bob Dylan's "This Dream of You," a deep cut from his 2009 album "Together Through Life". Krall is supported by a rotating cast of all-star players - Christian McBride and Russell Malone are on "Autumn in New York," Marc Ribot and Karriem Riggins are on "How Deep Is the Ocean" and the Dylan tune - but the energy is so subdued, the shift in players is felt more than heard; the exception is the lively, swinging "Just You, Just Me," where fiddler Stuart Duncan makes his presence known. That mellowness is an attribute of "This Dream of You", as it gives the album a distinctly relaxed, sophisticated vibe, but it's also a detriment because the record is so soft and slow it can veer into the sleepy. That wasn't a problem with "Turn Up the Quiet", whose stillness was compelling, so "This Dream of You" winds up shining a light on the accomplishment of the final album Krall and LiPuma finished in his lifetime. Together, they knew which songs to select to create a complete listen. What remained behind is nice but not quite absorbing. (Stephen Erlewine in AllMusic)

TONY & DIANA: "Love Is Here To Stay"

Original released on CD Verve B0028703-02

(EU 2018, September 14)

Tony Bennett and Diana Krall's partnership didn't begin with the 2018 duets album "Love Is Here to Stay". Krall popped up on two prior duets albums from Bennett and the pair toured at the dawn of the 2000s, but "Love Is Here to Stay" marks their first full record together, and it's an elegant affair. Conceived as a tribute to George Gershwin, the album is filled with familiar tunes, but hints of imagination lurk around the edges, such as the revival of "Fascinating Rhythm," the tune Bennett recorded for his first single in 1949. Nearly 70 years separate that version of "Fascinating Rhythm" from this 2018 rendition, and while Bennett certainly sounds older - his voice is slightly raspy, he can't hit the high notes the way he used to, nor does he sing with quite as much force - he still sounds spry and commanding, happily dancing through these cozy melodies, singing with as much rhythm as lyricism. Krall responds in kind, trading staccato phrases that are slyly complementary to Bennett's own. In the Bill Charlap Trio, the pair have empathetic support, keeping the proceedings both light and lush, helping to turn this album into a charming testament to endurance - endurance of the Gershwin catalog, the collaboration between Krall and Bennett, and, especially, how Tony Bennett can still sound completely committed to songs he's spent decades singing. (Stephen Erlewine in AllMusic)

KRALL's TRIBUTE TO THE NAT KING COLE TRIO

Original released on CD Justin Time ICD 8478

(CANADÁ 1996, March 12)

Pianist/vocalist Diana Krall pays tribute to the Nat King Cole Trio on her Impulse! set. In general, the medium and up-tempo tunes work best, particularly such hot ditties as "I'm an Errand Girl for Rhythm," "Frim Fram Sauce," and "Hit That Jive Jack." Krall does not attempt to directly copy Cole much (either pianistically or vocally), although his influence is obviously felt on some of the songs. The slow ballads are actually as reminiscent of Shirley Horn as Cole, particularly the somber "I'm Through With Love" and "If I Had You." Guitarist Russell Malone gets some solo space on many of the songs and joins in on the group vocal of "Hit That Jive Jack," although it is surprising that he had no other opportunities to interact vocally with Krall; a duet could have been delightful. Bassist Paul Keller is fine in support, pianist Benny Green backs Krall's vocal on "If I Had You," and percussionist Steve Kroon is added on one song. Overall, this is a tasteful effort that succeeds. (Scott Yanow in AllMusic)

Take Her Home Tonight

Original released on LP Verve 0602537905928

(EU 2015, February 2)

Diana Krall paid tribute to her father on "Glad Rag Doll", the 2012 album sourced from his collection of 78-rpm records, and, in a sense, its 2015 successor "Wallflower" is a companion record of sorts, finding the singer revisiting songs from her childhood. Like many kids of the 20th century, she grew up listening to the radio, which meant she was weaned on the soft rock superhits of the '70s - songs that earned sniffy condescension at the time but nevertheless have turned into modern standards due to their continual presence in pop culture (and arguably were treated that way at the time, seeing cover after cover by middlebrow pop singers). Krall does not limit herself to the songbook of Gilbert O'Sullivan, Jim Croce, the Carpenters, Elton John, and the Eagles, choosing to expand her definition of soft rock to include a previously unrecorded Paul McCartney song called "If I Take You Home Tonight" (a leftover from his standards album "Kisses on the Bottom"), Bob Dylan's "Wallflower," Randy Newman's "Feels Like Home," and Neil Finn's "Don't Dream It's Over," a song from 1986 that has been covered frequently in the three decades since. "Don't Dream It's Over" slides into this collection easily, as it's as malleable and timeless as "California Dreamin'," "Superstar," "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word," or "Operator (That's Not the Way It Feels)," songs that are identified with specific artists but are often covered successfully. 

Krall's renditions rank among those successes because she's understated, never fussing with the melodies but allowing her arrangements to slink by in a deliberate blend of sparseness and sophistication. It's an aesthetic that helps transform the Eagles' "I Can't Tell You Why" and 10cc's "I'm Not in Love," singles that are as successful as much for their production as their song, into elegant torch songs, yet it doesn't do much for Newman's pedestrian "Feels Like Home," nor does it lend itself to the loping country of "Wallflower," which may provide the name for this album but feels like an uninvited guest among these majestically melodic middle-of-the-road standards. These stumbles are slight and, tellingly, they put into context Krall's achievement with "Wallflower": by singing these songs as sweet and straight as the dusty old standards on "Glad Rag Doll" or the bossa nova on 2009's "Quiet Nights", she demonstrates how enduring these once-dismissed soft rock tunes really are. (Thomas Erlewine in AllMusic)

WILLIE NELSON Live With Friends

Original released on CD Lost Highway B000045302

(EU 2003, June 24)

For his 70th birthday gala, Willie Nelson decided to celebrate by inviting a cast of musical stars to join him in duets on a televised concert. In keeping with Nelson's eclecticism, only a few of the famous participants are country artists (Shania Twain, Toby Keith, and old pal Ray Price). How much is added to his classic "Crazy" by guests Diana Krall and Elvis Costello (then-hot celebrity couple of the moment) is an open question; what's really important is the well-deserved recognition Nelson receives from the musical world's biggest names. If you're a hardcore Willie fan, you've probably already got a couple of earlier live versions of, for example, "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain," but part of "Live and Kickin'"s purpose is to expose fans of Nelson's duet partners to the magic they've been missing out on for many decades. In that, it's a success. (John Bush in AllMusic)

"Dream" By DIANA KRALL

DIANA KRALL: "Turn Up The Quiet"

Original released on CD Verve B0026217-02

(US 2017, May 5)

Diana Krall spent the better part of the 2010s exploring byways of American song - her 2012 set "Glad Rag Doll" drew heavily on obscure jazz from the 1920s and '30s, its 2015 sequel "Wallflower" concentrated on pop and rock tunes - but 2017's "Turn Up the Quiet" finds the pianist/singer returning to well-known standards from the Great American Songbook. Reuniting with producer Tommy LiPuma for the first time since 2009's bossa nova-inspired "Quiet Nights", Krall works with a trio of lineups on "Turn Up the Quiet", alternating between a trio, quartet, and quintet. The album isn't divided into triads but rather gently shifts between these bands, a move that's sometimes imperceptible because the focus is firmly on Krall, the pianist. Her voice often operates at a hushed whisper - a decision that suits this collection of romantic, dreamy material; it also underscores the importance of the record's title - and that emphasizes her lithe piano along with the solo spotlights from her featured musicians. Krall gives her three bands plenty of space to shine - fiddler Stuart Duncan, in particular, stuns with his solo on "I'll See You in My Dreams," but there are nice turns from guitarists Russell Malone, Anthony Wilson, and Marc Ribot, along with supple playing by bassists Christian McBride, Tony Garnier, and Anthony Wilson - but what impresses is how these ensembles are all united in spirit and attitude, all thanks to their leader. Krall has a definite vision for "Turn Up the Quiet" - she wants to keep things smoky and subdued, a record for the wee hours - and the end result is so elegant, it seems effortless. (Stephen Erlewine in AllMusic)

DIANA KRALL: "From This Moment On"

Original released on CD Verve 80007323-02

(EU 2006, September 19)

Returning to the large ensemble sound of her 2005 success, "Christmas Songs", pianist/vocalist Diana Krall delivers a superb performance on 2006's "From This Moment On". Although having received a largely positive critical response for her creative departure into original singer/songwriter jazz material on 2004's "The Girl in the Other Room", here listeners find Krall diving headlong into the Great American Songbook that has long been her bread and butter. While she's always been a pleasant presence on album, Krall has developed from a talented pianist who can sing nicely into an engaging, classy, and sultry vocalist with tastefully deft improvisational chops. But it's not just that her phrasing and tone are well-schooled. Having long drawn comparisons to such iconic and icy jazz singers as Julie London and Peggy Lee, Krall truly earns such high praise here. In fact, tracks like "Willow Weep for Me" and "Little Girl Blue" are drawn with such virtuosic melancholy by Krall as to be far and away some of the best ballads she's put to record. Similarly impressive big swing numbers like "Come Dance with Me" showcase her muscular rhythmic chops both vocally and on the keys. Backing her here is the always wonderful Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, featuring some punchy and solid solo spots by trumpeter Terell Stafford, as well as the rhythm section talents of guitarist Anthony Wilson, bassist Robert Hurst, and drummer Jeff Hamilton. (Matt Collar in AllMusic)

WALLPAPER: "The Piano Sighs"

WALLPAPER: "Sensual Diana"

WALLPAPER: "Diana Krall"