Diana Krall

One reviewer described her voice as wild honey.

This is a magical description for this very talented artist. As wonderful as her voice
and interpretive skills are at performing the great jazz standards, her piano playing
is first-rate. This album swings! As an improvisor, she loves to quote other jazz
standards during her solos, usually evoking a smile from her band members. Diana's
style acknowledges her indebtedness to Nat King Cole. Indeed, her solos have the
same strong adherence to the melody that Cole preferred. But other influences are
clearly evident with some bop-inspired phrasing and funky blues lines, evoking
Oscar Peterson and Horace Silver.

This album and DVD, recorded live in Paris, brings Diana together with
enormously talented musicians, all stars in their own right. Drummer Jeff Hamilton
and bassist John Clayton have played together for many years, forming the nucleus
of the Clayton-Hamilton Orchestra. As accompanying artists, they blend in with
Diana's groove, perfectly answering her ideas, and contributing to the infectious
groove that is established from the opening track. Joining them is guitarist Anthony
Wilson, son of the famous bandleader and composer, Gerald Wilson. His solos
reflect a broad compositional and thematic quality and technically, he reveals his
indebtedness to Wes Montgomery in a number of inventive solos evoking the
master's indelible style but adding creative flourishes all his own.

But the requiebros for me is during the lovely, East of the Sun. Anthony Wilson
completes a truly melodic solo, re-interpreting the theme in a completely novel
direction. Diana responds and answers his last idea with one of her own and then
develops several different ideas, all the while weaving blues-inspired quotes. At
one point, she quotes another blues tune, eliciting an enthusiastic, "Yeah!" from John
Clayton. That is the requiebros for me, the moment when another artist responds
with joy over the creativity of their colleague. When jazz is done well, all the artists
are communicating to create a timeless showpiece of music and artistry.

Additional Links
Diana Krall Official Website