Diana Krall - Jazz Musician?

[Cascais]

Diana Krall - a talented Canadian singer-pianist who happens to beautiful and married to Elvis Costello (damn!). I have many of her recordings on CD and LP which have outstanding sound; in fact I use her When I Look into Your Eyes CD as a reference. Now the issue: is she merely a very good singer and musician, or does she have genuine jazz chops? (This issue was covered pretty well in a previous thread but anyone with something to add, please pitch in.)

 

[JackD201]

Genuine chops. I do think she is a better pianist than she is a singer.

Unfortunately overplayed everywhere.

 

[Cascais]

Genuine chops. I do think she is a better pianist than she is a singer.

Unfortunately overplayed everywhere.

I visited my dentist in Portugal the other day and guess whose music he was playing on his office stereo to calm his patients? Regarding her piano playing, too bad she doesn't play more since she studied under Jimmy Rowles, a master. And Ray Brown.

 

[audioguy]

Easy on the ears ---- and eyes. But, as noted, her music becomes annoying at shows since it seems everyone uses her well recorded music in their rooms!

 

[DonH50]

Today's Amanda McBroom (in terms of audiophile playtime)?

 

[edorr]

Does not do anything for me. I have a bunch of her recordings (incl. fine MCH SACD) that I never listen to. Some sort of hybrid between elevator music and jazz.

 

[Joe Whip]

While she has limited vocal range, she uses what she has very well. I have seen in in person maybe 10 times from 150 seat venues to outdoor summer venues and she is a very impressive piano player. Plays some very complex and inventive stuff. Is she a jazz musician? If you really have to ask that question, IMHO, you need to listen to the music. Ask the musicians who play with her, like John Clayton, Jeff Hamilton and the like, I have. They love her as a musician and not just because she makes them money.

 

[JackD201]

While she has limited vocal range, she uses what she has very well. I have seen in in person maybe 10 times from 150 seat venues to outdoor summer venues and she is a very impressive piano player. Plays some very complex and inventive stuff. Is she a jazz musician? If you really have to ask that question, IMHO, you need to listen to the music. Ask the musicians who play with her, like John Clayton, Jeff Hamilton and the like, I have. They love her as a musician and not just because she makes them money.

I agree. I took a balcony seat just so I could see her work the keys. No she isn't Nat King Cole but she reminds me of him in that he too was underrated as a piano player because of his popularity as a singer. I'm pretty sure she could do session work for "serious" jazz albums and nobody here would complain about her playing. Sadly you hear very little of what she's capable of on her albums. She goes for it in her concerts.

 

[Joe Whip]

It is my experience that those who complain about her the most in the audiophile world have never seen her live and in person. She is much better live than on her records, both insofar as her singing and playing. She really stretches out live, as fine jazz musicians do. As much as I enjoy great jazz recordings (and I have tons of them), the real deal is to be experience live. I still get goosebumps thinking about seeing Monty Alexander with Jeff Hamilton and John Clayton at the Blue Note a few months ago. For me at least, that is what music is all about. LIVE.

 

[Cascais]

Easy on the ears ---- and eyes. But, as noted, her music becomes annoying at shows since it seems everyone uses her well recorded music in their rooms!

That's because it is so well recorded with wide dynamic range on the orchestrated stuff, like When I Look into Your Eyes, and the dynamic trio or quartet, with Jeff Hamilton et als. When I want to hear if my system is good on any given day, I put on "Let's face the music and dance" with a world of detail, nuance and tone color.

 

[audioarcher]

It is my experience that those who complain about her the most in the audiophile world have never seen her live and in person. She is much better live than on her records, both insofar as her singing and playing. She really stretches out live, as fine jazz musicians do. As much as I enjoy great jazz recordings (and I have tons of them), the real deal is to be experience live. I still get goosebumps thinking about seeing Monty Alexander with Jeff Hamilton and John Clayton at the Blue Note a few months ago. For me at least, that is what music is all about. LIVE.

+1. Saw her live a couple of years ago. They were great. They played a bunch of tunes I was not familiar with, none of which are on any of her albums.

 

[Cascais]

While she has limited vocal range, she uses what she has very well. I have seen in in person maybe 10 times from 150 seat venues to outdoor summer venues and she is a very impressive piano player. Plays some very complex and inventive stuff. Is she a jazz musician? If you really have to ask that question, IMHO, you need to listen to the music. Ask the musicians who play with her, like John Clayton, Jeff Hamilton and the like, I have. They love her as a musician and not just because she makes them money.

Good post. I think it depends on what she's playing as she can do the commercial stuff, which isn't saying that is bad, since I admire the Great American Songbook, but she can rock with the boys at a jazz festival. I have seen her too and she is very gracious and sincere with an audience, and gives them what they want. Her sidemen seem to be enjoying themselves and they are very good jazz musicians.

 

[BlueFox]

What is a jazz musician?

 

[still-one]

I find her music boring and most of her songs lack emotion to draw you in. Good for elevators.

 

[Cascais]

I find her music boring and most of her songs lack emotion to draw you in. Good for elevators.

Lacks emotion? Listen to Diana Krall sing the Joni Mitchell song, "A Case of You" from the Paris Concert. It is heartbreaking. This is very subjective stuff, of course.

 

[edorr]

I find her music boring and most of her songs lack emotion to draw you in. Good for elevators.

I feel the same. She sounds "mechanical". Not bad execution, but all from the head, not the heart/gut.

 

[puroagave]

I feel the same. She sounds "mechanical". Not bad execution, but all from the head, not the heart/gut.

exactly. the 'problem' with DK is she's a white chic from the 'burbs and relatively affluent upbringing. the best torch singers - in the blues vein -were tortured soles that lived the hard life. DK is pop icon that sings jazz, hence her appeal to a broad audience and those with a passing interest in jazz, or recent converts to jazz music. in the pantheon of great female jazz singers she'll register as the most successful, perhaps in music sales but nowhere near the greats as being influential...imo of course.

 

[Cascais]

exactly. the 'problem' with DK is she's a white chic from the 'burbs and relatively affluent upbringing. the best torch singers - in the blues vein -were tortured soles that lived the hard life. DK is pop icon that sings jazz, hence her appeal to a broad audience and those with a passing interest in jazz, or recent converts to jazz music. in the pantheon of great female jazz singers she'll register as the most successful, perhaps in music sales but nowhere near the greats as being influential...imo of course.

Methinks you're indulging in a little stereotyping. Every jazz or blues singer can't be Billie Holiday.

 

[puroagave]

Methinks you're indulging in a little stereotyping. Every jazz or blues singer can't be Billie Holiday.

nor should they, question is what will be DK's legacy? She has very big shoes to fill considering her repertoire is based on material sung many times before from those that managed better.

 

[jazdoc]

the 'problem' with DK is she's a white chic from the 'burbs

FYI, I believe the politically correct term is 'babe' and not 'chic'.