When I Look in Your Eyes

by

Diana Krall

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When I first heard this CD ,I had a very limited knowledge and appreciation of Diana Krall.The exposure was limited to a couple of tracks on her tribute to the Nat King Cole trio,and her version of Danny Boy with the Chieftains,on the 1999 offering,Tears of Stone,but even then something attracted my interest...it was well placed.Diana's interpretations of these standards,showcases her rich and husky voice,and seems to marry her jazz vocalist roots with a more mainstream appeal.Lets face it when you have it ,you have it,talent will always stand out. From the opening track,Lets Face the Music and Dance with its bosanova rythms through to the mischievious Do It Again,this is a delight.To see such classics by Cole Porter,Irving Berlin and George Gershwin delivered with such emotion whilst relying upon the jazz tradition is a pure delight to listen to. I have taken the opportunity to listen to previous CDs by Ms Krall,and the performance on this recording really should not come as a surprise. What really caught my attention,and are the strengths of this CD,is the talent and ability of Diana Krall as a jazz pianist,and her ability to meld her trio /quartet to complement her delvery of the songs.In an age when production and studio musicians cover a glaring limitation or lack of talent of many artists,Ms Krall has it all and caresses the keys with a skill and emotion that belies her years.If her talent as a vocalist and pianist werent enough,she has some credits on arrangements as well. My admiration for some excellent guitar work from Russell Malone and the bass credits shared between John Clayton and Ben Wolfe.The atmosphere that is generated on this recording is owed to a large extent to the talent of these gentlemen. The production on this recording is excellent as you would expect from Tommy LiPuma and Johnny Mandel.The overall feel of this recording just simply oozes class that is not a readily available quality these days. The string arrangements beautifully compliment the mood,and I think the purists can forgive me in saying,loosen up live a little,let the jazz be accessible to everybody. A real delight for me was to hear the Michael Franks track Popsicle Toes,delivered with such sensual humour,it offers a new dimension to an artist so unfairly labelled bland,thank you Ms Krall,from an old Michael Franks fan. Whether you listen to this at dinner,when the sun rises or sets,alone or with the one you love you are in for a rare treat.I could not help but think of The Fabulous Baker Boys and wonder what Ms Krall could have delivered in the vocal department!!! Above all this is an adult,smooth and flawless performance...I had no regrets in parting with my money for this one,and I have become a fan of this artist.I give it five stars,and highly recommend that you listen to this with a good red wine,and a sense of adventure.

I saw Diana Krall and her trio at Blue Alley last summer. It was a GREAT performance. She sang "East of the Sun" and then she and the trio played , jammed for a half hour. Other songs ran 20 minutes to 30 and she would only sing at the begining of the songs. It was mesmerizing. On this CD, she sings the chourus of "East of the Sun" and all but leaves out the piano, guitar and bass solos. The same song lasts 4 minutes; so disappointing when she can do so much better!

This CD seems interesting in places but overall listless and burned out in comparison with her earlier CD's. The schlocky orchestra 1001-strings background doesn't help.

She is primarily a jazz pianist, and she is being marketed as a singer. I believe the record company forces her to do this.

Come on Diana, release a record of a REAL LIVE PERFORMANCE! Show the people what you can do!