Love Scenes

For me, this is a great cd because of the musical selection, the mood which utilizes the singer's voice to best advantage, and a jazz trio that interacts tremendously with each other.

I like to hear some of the old standards.....especially if the material seems so well suited to the artist. There are upbeat songs included as well as the slow ballads. For me, this is the definitive version of "Peel Me A Grape". There are songs that she does extremely well that are not (for me ) the definitive versions,i.e "I Miss You So" Chris Connor 1956 and "Gentle Rain" Singers Unlimited with the Oscar Peterson Trio 1971. Her entry with just the bass of Christian McBride on "All Or Nothing At All" is evocative of Julie London's recordings.....an inevitable comparison. She's a natural for the lightly swinging "They Can't Take That Away From Me" and that song has been a favorite of jazz musicians for years.......the point being, this version still sounds good to me!

I certainly enjoy Ms Krall's piano style and can find no fault with that. As for the other trio members, Christian McBride is one of the best bassists around and Russell Malone plays a fantastic guitar. I just reviewed his "Black Butterfly" about a week ago.

Her style and vocal attributes remind me of Julie London, a very underrated singer. Technically, London couldn't come close to what a Sarah Vaughn or Ella Fitzgerald could do, but she knew her vocal limits and worked within them. She rarely sang at full voice or at a fast tempo, yet, no matter how soft or deliberate the pace, you were never bored. It's the same approach being used by Diana Krall......and very effectively.

Diana Krall is one of the best things to happen to the jazz scene in the last decade. Her claim to fame is her sultry alto, but she is also quite adept at the piano. Those reviews here who complain about the lack of emotional range don't get that one of her main attractions is subtlety. She doesn't hit you over the head. She seduces you. If there is a more sexy, satin-sheets, wine-on-ice rendition of *anything* that beats her "Peel Me a Grape", I haven't heard it.

Obviously, this recording contains love songs, or more properly, songs about love. Many are slow and sensual, and a few are more up-tempo -- but even those are understated. I think her interpretations are exactly what she was aiming for. It's not a rap against her if she's intentionally keeping the temperature just warm enough to simmer. She's not trying to boil. I don't think it's a coincidence that there is no drummer around.

The renditions here are delightful, although some more than others. (I can't quite get in to "I Miss You So" or "Garden in the Rain".) But "All or Nothing at All", "Peel Me a Grape", and "My Love Is" are worth the price of admission.

There seems to be mixed emotions about Di's voice. Some seem to
really like it and while others say it is booring. My opinion is that it fits the jazz mold. Usually jazz doesn't require an operatic voice. One that is real crystal clear and always on key. Most jazz singers are people that sing about their hard knocks of life. Most have lived through rough times and tell us about these times through their songs. That's why they have a lot of sorrow and hurt in their voices.

As far as this cd goes, it offers a pretty good repertiore. It could have been possibly better, but it will do. I will say if the repertoire would have been a little better, I would have had no choice but to give a better rating for this cd. The repertoire was the only reservation I had about this cd.

I would like to recommend this cd. It is worth your purchse price.