 Diana Krall Diana Krall's second album will be of interest mainly to people who have been floored by her breakthrough CD's All For You and Love Scenes, complementary masterpieces in my opinion and the albums that made Diana a star. She's just about a household name, as much so as anyone can be in the jazz world nowadays. And she's becoming almost more of a brand than a performer – in fact, isn't there a Diana Krall Latte on the Starbucks menu? I won't hold that against her though (especially since the Diana Krall Latte is only available at the Starbucks in my mind). The uninitiated are directed to Love Scenes, a gorgeous, irony-free, straightforward ballad session that is still fresh to my ears hundreds of listens later. Her vocal sound is probably most similar to Peggy Lee's, though she has a lot of Shirley Horn and Nat King Cole in terms of approach. Though she's known for her smoky voice, she's a first-rate pianist as well, owing a lot to Ahmad Jamal and again, Shirley Horn. The great thing about the two albums mentioned above is that the chemistry of Krall's trio is rare and magical – just Diana on keys and vox, Christian McBride on bass, and Russell Malone on guitar, who is about as sympathetic a supporting artist as one can get in such a tight-knit group. The simple trio format really serves Diana's style well, allowing her piano and voice to really shine through. That special alchemy is somewhat lacking on Only Trust Your Heart, the 1995 release that preceded her two great Impulse! albums. Most people will be like me in viewing this album with hindsight, peering into Diana Krall's earlier output only after hearing the truly great later stuff. Most people will also be like me in thinking, "Hm, it's good, but it's just not as good." No one is to blame, as Howard Jones would say (except he'd be saying it more like "Hey, I wrote 'No One is To Blame!' Buy me a drink? A coat? A hot meal?"). The band is fantastic – Ray Brown and Christian McBride appear on bass (each taking about half the tracks), with Lewis Nash on drums and the great Stanley Turrentine on tenor sax for three tunes. I think it's the lack of Malone's guitar, coupled with the presence of drums, which makes this session a bit too straightforward. None of the quirks are here, none of the charming idiosyncrasies – just good, not great, jazz served straight up. Turrentine proves himself quite a scene-stealer as a sideman – the album is almost worth having just for his cameos. But overall there's just not too much that sparks here – "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby" is fun, but kind of sedate, and "I've Got the World on a String" has some punch, but nothing below the belt. It's a pretty slick affair, with solid performances – enjoyable but not stellar – recommended principally to committed Krall Heads. Wait, I think we need a better name there. Kreepy Krallies? Yuck, I don't think I should be in charge of this decision.
Review by Rue Bolo |