Article: Diana Krall plays Kingsbury Hall, September 24, 2013

(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune)

Piano and song work well for Krall; story-telling not so much
Review » Energetic set bogged down at times by spoken word.

By Jim Dalrymple II

 The Salt Lake Tribune
First Published Sep 24 2013 11:24 pm • Last Updated Sep 25 2013 10:47 am

Two things were obvious from Diana Krall’s set Tuesday night at Kingsbury Hall: she’s an excellent musician but only a fair storyteller. Also, she really loves booze.

Krall’s set was part of a tour in support of her 2012 album "Glad Rag Doll," which is the award-winning jazz pianist’s 12th studio album.

 

The show began just before 8:30 p.m. with three silhouetted figures on a stage reminiscent of a Georges Mèliés film set: oversized moon, metal stars and a glowing piano.

And Steve Buscemi. Yes, he of "Boardwalk Empire" fame. Buscemi is a pleasure to watch nearly all of the time, though it was kind of an odd pairing that walked a precarious line between humor and sincerity. Was it a joke? Was it serious? It was hard to tell with Buscemi hamming it up in a video behind what seemed like a very earnest Krall and co.

Which isn’t to take away from the music, which was beyond reproach. Krall — whose breathy voice and playful piano toyed with the 1920s-themed material from "Glad Rag Doll" — was backed by a five-man band. Highlights included a surprisingly gritty cover of Tom Waits’ "Temptation" and "Let it Rain," which Krall described as the "Bridge Over Troubled Water" of its day.

As the show progressed, Krall drew laughs from the audience with anecdotes from her life. She described raising two sons and wanting to fill a bathtub with booze. Having a good drink was a recurring theme throughout the show. She described the gramophone player on the stage, revealing that it was actually her father’s. And she described growing up near her grandparents, her grandma making sandwiches and her grandfather "making books" in the back of the restaurant.

They were interesting, charming stories that painted Krall’s life as an adventurous, perpetually buzzed folk tale. But they also slowed the show down significantly, especially during the middle of the set. Long stories increasingly included long pauses and at one point she seemed almost bored as she invited shouted song requests before launching into "A Case of You" — a delightful song that was probably not well-served by the low-key chaos that preceded it.

It’s also unfortunately worth noting that when Krall switched from her grand piano to the glowing upright the sound suffered from what seemed like audio clipping or distortion. That’s not Krall’s fault of course, but really, someone should have fixed it.

Still, when Krall was playing the show was a pleasure. In addition to the Buscemi video, most songs were accompanied by vintage film clips that complemented well the silent-era-themed sets and pre-war songs. The emotion also varied considerably, jauntily rising on "Just You Just Me," for example, before tumbling back down again on the 1933 song "Boulevard of Broken Dreams."

The audience, apparently, loved it. Krall finished her set with "I’m a Little Mixed Up" but the audience compelled her back behind the piano with a standing ovation. She complied, playing an encore that included Bob Dylan’s "Wallflower" and The Band’s "Ophelia." Krall pounded them out powerfully and with pleasure, showing off exactly what she does best.

Fuente: www.sltrib.com

Article: Greek Theatre - Diana Krall’s performance Saturday night.

Fuente: Read More Here: www.ocregister.com

Article: Live Jazz: Diana Krall at the Greek Theatre

By Don Heckman

Los Angeles, CA. One of the great pleasures of reviewing music is the rare opportunity to observe the creative evolution of a gifted artist. It doesn’t happen often. But when it does, as it did at Diana Krall’s concert at the Greek Theatre Saturday night, it’s an experience to remember.

Diana’s Los Angeles concerts of the past few years have generally showcased her mastery of the classics in the Great American songbook, performed with backing ranging from the intimacy of her own quartets to the lush orchestral accompaniment of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Each of those events displayed her growing creative maturity. Always a natural musical story teller, she brought a heightening level of interpretive magic to every song she touched, adding new perspectives to music long familiar as part of the soundtrack of American life.

On Saturday night at the Greek Theatre, however, she revealed an even more compelling desire to expand the potential of her art. She did so while still retaining her deep connections with many of the songs her dedicated audiences love to hear her sing and play. While also adding intriguing, early ’20s selections from her latest album, Glad Rag Doll.

And that was just one aspect of this memorable performance.

Start with the fact that virtually all the music was illuminated by huge video projections of vintage film clips, all selected by Krall. Among the many highlights in the non-stop images: Groucho Marx romancing Margaret Dumont; George Raft dancing elegantly with Carole Lombard; and dozens of others, embracing everything from classic cartoons to black and white masterpieces.

Diana has often referred to a Canadian childhood in which she was introduced by her parents to the music and films of the ’20s, `30s and ’40s. And her long program – delivered without a break, and with a four-song encore — honored that influence by her choices of music and film clips, while positioning one of her father’s old gramophones on the front of stage left, and including a segment in which she sang while playing an old upright piano.

Add to that a selection of repertoire that included such Songbook classics as “We Just Couldn’t say Goodbye,” “Let’s Face the Music and Dance,” “The Sunny Side of the Street,” “Just You, Just Me,” “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.” and more. While including tunes associated with Nat “King” Cole and Bing Crosby, and adding songs by Bob Dylan, Neil Young, The Band, and Tom Waits. All of it delivered by Krall with convincing understanding of each of the song’s musical stories.

Krall was backed in her artistically ambitious endeavors by a superb group – guitarist Aram Bajakian, bassist Dennis Crouch, ukulele player Stuart Duncan, drummer Karriem Riggins and keyboardist Patrick Warren. Well-tuned to the eclectic styles her program demanded – hard swinging jazz, simmering rock and intimate balladry – they were the perfect choice to support her musical goals.

But the most fascinating subtext of the evening was the emergence of Diana Krall as a mature, evolved performer whose growing artistry has become balanced by equally magnetic skills as a communicator and an entertainer. It’s a rare combination, and Krall now expresses those skills with a convincing believability that firmly places her in the rarified group of Olympian artists she honored in her mesmerizing evening of music and visuals.

Photos by Faith Frenz

Fuente: irom.wordpress.com