I have some unkind comments to make about a) her looks, b) her music, and c)her performing style.
a: she looks like she was grown in a lab rather than in utero. I mean, she’s beautiful, but there’s an odd stylized look to her…it’s like Odo, René Auberjonois’s character on Deep Space Nine. (for non-geeks who don’t know what I mean by that, Odo is a shape-shifting alien who takes human form most of the time, except he gets little details like the shape of his nose and ears a little bit wrong.) Her nose in particular is strangely straight and squared off on the sides. She does have gorgeous hair though.
b: this is the most soporific auditory Novocaine I have EVER heard. Her voice is lovely if a little bland, but her music has NO energy at all. She’s taken the laid-back style of cool jazz to its absolute extreme. I bet it’ll make good dinner-party music, though, because it doesn’t intrude on your consciousness at ALL.
c: During the Grammys (or was it the American Music Awards?) I saw her do a nifty little trio thing on piano with George Benson on guitar and Erykah Badu alongside, all three of them singing. Whenever the camera cut to Krall, she had this look on her face like she was trying to remember to pick up a loaf of bread on the way home from the show. Try to look like you’re having some fun, Diana! (if you can make that stiff face move in more human ways, that is.)
I know I’m going to get majorly dissed for this, but I actually like Diana Krall, Cheffie!
Let me explain.
I like the songs she selects for her albums. I like the instrumentation and musicians she selects for her albums. I like the way she plays the piano. I even like her voice.
To tell you the truth, I heard her sing before I saw what she looked like and I thought she was Black. I was shocked that she looked like a Barbie-doll princess (and that her albums feature K-Mart-like-model spreads of her) but I can overlook that because I enjoy her music so much.
I also enjoy playing my sax to her music because it’s really basic and not cluttered by a lot of showing off. She doesn’t really go off, ever, but then again, it’s not her style.
Ok, let the flames begin.
I don’t know why you thought you were going to be dissed…it’s not like you said you like Kenny G or something. shudder If you do like Kenny G, Smell-a-knee-ah, keep it to yourself or we can’t be friends anymore.
Like I said, I’m sure I’ll be playing this album at a lot of dinner parties. It just doesn’t make me sway, you know? I do agree that her choice of songs is right on (that’s why I bought the CD), but MAN…I don’t dare listen to this in the car or I’ll end up snoring in the ditch.
Not meant to diss the lady, but understand one thing about Diana Krall and why she’s so popular:
she’s safe.
Safe for white audiences to like, without being exposed to anything that might be scary or shocking.
Safe for people that are terrified they’re not hip enough for jazz.
She’s easy on the eyes and not very demanding and not without talent, if lacking in style. (Unless you think that bland sorority girl thing she does is stylish.)
Go listen to a real singer . . . five seconds of, say, Cassandra Wilson is better than a whole evening of Diana Krall.
Just my two cents.
your humble TubaDiva
Just got a GREAT quote from Ukelele Ike:
“All the musicians I listen to are dead. It saves me big bucks on concert tix.”
I’ve waited to comment on this, as I wanted to listen to her a little more first.
It was strange seeing her name here, as I’d seen her for the first time on Sessions at West 54th the previous weekend. (OK, so I don’t get out much; sue me.) I really have never gotten into jazz, though I’m not “afraid” of it; its just never had the pull for me that other types of music had. Until seeing Diana perform, that is.
So I read your comments, read some other reviews, saw her again on Evening at Pops and decided to buy her most recent CD this weekend. And fell in love with her, much as I did with Alison Krauss, Sarah McLachlan, and Sheryl Crow. Maybe it’s just me, but I think there’s more style to her than “that bland sorority girl thing”. That’s a more accurate description of the Spice Girls. Hers is a subtle burning–a silky, smoldering sexuality that doesn’t need to be blatant, even if her looks are.
My music taste tends to be rather eclectic–from bluegrass to folk to country to pop to rock and back to instrumental. If Diana helps open my ears to the wider world of jazz and blues as well, I can only thank her for it.
My two cents? You can’t expect to like everybody’s style of music. If you do like someone, it’s because of what the music is, not what you wish it could be.
Valid points, but you still haven’t touched on what seems to me to be the most important question: What is WITH that androidy looking nose? You’re making good money now, Diana…it’s called a rhinoplasty, look into it.
Cheffie, you make me laugh! But don’t you know that jazz musicians are supposed to be ugly? Once she crosses over to pop or rock, she’ll have to dress like a whore and get a nose/boob job.
Tuba, I respect your opinion, but I don’t agree. I love a lot of crazy, fucked up jazz shit and am still occasionally in the mood for Diana. My last two saxophone teachers (both professional musicians)love her. I find her pleasant to listen to, not necessarily “safe”.
But, for the record, I think her piano playing is a ton better than her singing.
mrblue92, there are a lot of jazz and blues experts on the board (Tuba and Uke being the best sources) so don’t hesitate to ask if you need suggestions!
If she insisted on playing the piano with it, I could understand your concern. (Maybe she did as a kid, huh?) Honestly, I very attractive, nose and all. (You don’t have some sort of nasal fetish, do you?) BTW, does she remind you guys of any actresses or other musicians? I get this deja vu when I see her; maybe it’s just somebody from my past, but I’d think I’d remember someone who looked like THAT unless I was very young.
I agree that her voice is not technically perfect, but at least she seems honest about it and doesn’t appear to hide behind lip-synching.
As for recommendations, I figured I’d listen to some of Diana’s older stuff to get a little deeper understanding of her, and check out Miles Davis (I had the famous “Blue” CD in mind), as I find some of his songs appealling. I was even thinking of rescheduling my August vacation a week later, as Diana will be in the area (with Tony Bennet) that week. Anybody wanna go?
I meant “I think she’s very attractive”.