Diana Krall

Thanks to her maturely seductive voice, subtle piano chops, and a deep-rooted familiarity with the classic American songbook, she is good enough to have earned the attention of older Vocal Jazz fans looking for a throwback to the good old days. But more importantly, Diana Krall is also caught the collective ear of a younger audience nostalgic for a past they have never experienced.

Diana Krall | video

Ranging from lightly swinging piano trios a la early Nat King Cole to the string-enhanced sophistication of 1998’s Grammy-nominated When I Look in Your Eyes, her output draws almost entirely from a body of songs penned before she was born. Krall gives refreshingly unmannered performances, using her vocal and piano skills to sell standards and not herself. Diana Krall now topped the traditional jazz charts longer than any other artist in history. While she isn’t an innovator, Krall doesn’t need to be. Her classy take on classic material shows that jazz still speaks to modern, mainstream audiences.
( Will York )