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Diana Krall :: Live In Paris by Earnest Woodall Recorded at the historic Olympia Theatre in Paris in November 2001, this is Diana Krall's first live album that is extremely welcome in light of Diana's latest studio release, "The Look of Love." The live setting captures Ms. Krall at her best, when she is simply playing the piano and singing. She is astonishing at both. Backed by her combo of bassist John Clayton, drummer Jeff Hamilton, and guitarist John Pisano, Krall's jazz heritage comes through loud and clear. Diana Krall's phrasings on tunes such as "I Love Being Here With You," or "Maybe You'll Be There" are distinctively delightful. Likewise, her rendition of "A Case of You" is a treat to say the least. Her piano work there, along with the pure emotion from her singing is spectacular. The smooth sounds of "Let's Fall In Love" sends the listener into the realm of pure delight. Mesmerizing and serene vibes within an original style in the Burt Bacharach tune "The Look Of Love", Krall brings to the surface a message of sensual feelings. Though this recording captures Diana Krall at her best, she does not fully escape the orchestral arrangements found on her last two studio releases. The orchestral arrangements dull the soul of of this performance. Therefore, I couldn't give this recording a complete thumbs up. If it had been without the orchestra, I probably would have given it TWO GREAT BIG THUMBS UP. But still Diana Krall's "Live in Paris" epitomizes the skill that she brings to music interpretation that is so absent in today's bellowing, acrobatic "American Idol" approach, where all the lyrical meaning is shattered. published 23.04.2005© 2005 jazz news :: home page

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