Love Scenes

Elements for a romantic evening: A bottle of the finest red wine, a roaring fire, green grapes, and Love Scenes.

'nuff said....

I became an instant fan the first time I heard Diana Krall and know that when I give her CD's as gifts, they are received with pure delight.

There seems to be two vastly different 'camps' of listener's when pertaining to the music of Diana Krall. One, obviously, are fans of her latest two releases, "When I Look In Your Eyes" and " The Look Of Love " two discs that are generally not considered jazz but are perhaps primarily more MOR than earlier, earthier recordings. " When I Look...." is a favorite of mine and I cherish it. And since I subscribe to the " if you can't say anything nice...." wisdom of thought then I won't bother to go into her lastest disc. That being said....I suspect my loyalties for Diana must lean toward her earlier body of work. A body of work, featuring the wonderful Christian McBride on bass, that depended on a much more 'intimate' setting and was much more jazz influenced. That being said....

" Love Scenes " is perhaps Diana's swan song toward that wonderful, almost nurtured style of music. Maybe from here on out she'll settle into a mode that is much more homogenized, middle-of-the-road,and ultimately with a broader audience in mind. If that is indeed the case than we should cherish this cd more than ever. Again, as with " Only Trust Your Heart " and " All For You " she relies on piano, bass and guitar format, which actually suits her singing style extremely well. It adds a certain intimacy that I find very appealing and I'm afraid may be lost forever in future discs. Starting off with " All Or Nothing At All " she sets the tone, taking Sinatra's hit and, playing the role of the pleading lover, settting her demands in a playful, almost teasing manner. "Peel Me A Grape", quite possibly her most 'erotic' song to date, as with " My Love Is " work solely on their ability to be boldly sexual yet tender as well. And as for " I Miss You So " a tune that conveys a more wistful, yearning loss that she's able to project very well. Ending with " Garden In The Rain " a selection where the singer is looking back on a previous love, wondering ( as we all do ) what went wrong. Tender but not a hint of schmaltz...thank goodness. I should perhaps add " Gentle Rain " a song that is warm and simply drips ( no pun intended! ) with atmosphere. Overall "Love Scene's " is a very nice package that shows this artist maturing and growing with each new cd.

Overall, whatever road Diana chooses to take in her career is simply up to her ( regardless of all the unsolicited advice she seems to be receiving ). And she will of course have my, if not indispensable, at least full, support! But whatever she decides she won't be able to have it both ways when it comes to the type of artist she ultimately wants to be. Whether she chooses jazz or a more easy listening approach to her music....she in the end must be responsible for that. But choose she will have to do! Unfortunately, it's either 'all or nothing at all'!

..But not really Diana's top effort. I suggest WHEN I LOOK IN YOUR EYES as Diana's supreme achievement so far.That is the one for all prospective Diana fans,mainly since it displays more styles,including such terrifically orchestrated ballads...Even so, LOVE SCENES is definitely a worthy companion. Perhaps WHEN I LOOK is so outstanding that anyone would have a tough time equalling it. Every piece here though is a winner too, even if the sets includes a few more familiar old standards.(WHEN I LOOK has more less known songs.) The rarely done "Garden in the Rain" is my favorite here, along with the better known "How Deep is the Ocean?", and "I Don't Stand A Ghost of a Chance" .By the way,oddly "All or Nothing at All" is not played too much either these days,unusual perhaps since it was Sinatra's first big hit way back in 1939,and Diana's wispy, snappy version is fine too.

I am not a frequent listener of Jazz and am unfamiliar with many of the contemporary names in the genre, however, the name of Diana Krall came to my attention when I purchased an excellent Jazz ballad cd by a saxaphonist. I read the reviews concerning the Love Scenes collection and all seemed favorable for a purchase. I thought I would take a chance on this cd.

Unfortunately, Love Scenes has proved to be a major disappointment. I was eager to hear a Jazz vocalist explore the subject of love, however, the entire cd is completely lacking in depth lyrically. It is, at best, transparent.

I also feel that Krall's delivery is vastly too unemotional and detached for the theme of love. There is no "soul" in her voice and she seems at times to even be uninterested in the music she is singing. The most convincing vocalists are able to feel the emotions they sing. Krall fails at this juncture.

Krall's singing is unappealing to me as well. Surely a good vocalist could resonate a note just a bit. This surely might have aided her delivery on such songs as I Miss You So where the word "so" lies on a prolonged note. Unfortunately, she sings it blandly. Many other such examples could be cited.

Lastly, the vast majority of the songs in the collection are simply unappealing. Despite her shortcomings, I did enjoy I Miss You So; They Can't Take That Away From Me; and I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance With You. The remaining tracks I thought were horrendous - particularly Peel Me a Grape and My Love Is. Love Scene's greatest fault, however, lies in its lack of depth with regards to the subject of love.

I consider Love Scenes to be among the worst cd's I have ever purchased. I do not recommend it.