Diana Krall | From This Moment On
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Diana Krall (v, p), Terrell Strafford (t), Gil Castellanos (t), Sal Cracchiolo (t, flhn), Jeff Clayton (as), Rickey Woodard (s), Gerald Clayton (p), Tamir Hendelman (p), Anthony Wilson (g), John Clayton (b), Jeff Hamilton (d) and the Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. Rec. 2006
After her much-praised segue into co-writing on The Girl In the Other Room, the jazz world’s favourite poster girl re-embraces the songbook with a big, British Columbia bear hug. With her trusty A-team, co-producer Tommy LiPuma, engineer Al Schmitt and arranger/bandleader John Clayton, on hand to keep interpretations fresh, Krall takes palpable delight in delivering 11 of her favourite tunes, most of which she’s been singing and playing since childhood. It shows: tracks such as ‘Day In, Day Out’, ‘Come Dance With Me’ and ‘It Could Happen To You’ have been reworked with obvious knowledge.
Krall’s skills as a pianist have never been in doubt but here her voice seems richer, her phrasing more natural, her timing very often inspired – particularly on an unhurried, soon-come version of Irving Berlin’s ‘Isn’t It A Lovely Day’. It’s the ensemble playing, though, which really marks this out as a good ‘un – the thoughtful guitar of Anthony Wilson on ‘Exactly Like You’; Terrell Stafford’s trumpet solo on ‘Isn’t This...’, the musical empathy throughout. Sure, it would be nice to have more Krall originals. But for the time being, here’s the gal at her best.
Jane Cornwell