The quiet charm of Diana Krall

Thank heavens for Diana Krall. Just when you were starting to think there is no rescue in sight from the thoroughly enjoyable but now too long-staying sounds of Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber and The Chainsmoking company, she came along and brought a quietly compelling quiet. And what a quiet it is. Her latest album, the aptly titled Turn Up The Quiet, is a soft, sexy, languorous and soul-filling feast for the ears that recharges the senses.

Most of you are doubtless already familiar with the Canadian-born Krall by now. From being a jazz piano-playing teenager in local restaurants in British Columbia, she has become the pianist, vocalist and producer who has lots of Grammys and Junos, and a good number of Platinum-selling albums. Occasionally, she collaborates with big names like Ray Charles, Paul McCartney, David Foster, or her husband Elvis Costello and others. It is her solo recordings though that have generated her a huge following these past 25 years and Quiet, her follow-up to Wallflower, from two years ago, is one of her best.

Although she has already proven her mettle with an assortment of sounds, think new originals, Latin jazz, rock, R&B and pop, it is when she sings from the American songbook of well-loved standards that her fans love her best. Among those memorable albums are The Look Of Love, From This Moment On and Only Trust Your Heart. Her last release, the multi-platinum selling Wallflower that was produced by David Foster, featured contemporary rock and pop classics. Now in another change of pace, she has returned to her usual milieu with Quiet.

Turn Up The Quiet was produced by Tommy LiPuma who gave Krall her first hit album Only Trust Your Heart in 1995 and who helped create her distinctive style. Unfortunately, LiPuma passed away last March at the age of 80, after finishing work on Quiet. Theirs was a very productive partnership. He either produced or co-produced nine of her 12 albums. I say now that he went off happily to heavenly glory because their last album together is a huge success and Krall is once again riding high on No. 1 in the charts.

The standout cuts are the seductive Moonglow composed by Will Hudson, Irving Mills and Eddie DeLange from 1933, the purring Rodgers and Hart classic from 1932, Isn’t It Romantic and the blithely happy Like Someone In Love by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke. But I probably picked those titles because they are my personal favorites. All the other cuts are also great. Also included in are: L.O.V.E., Night And Day, I’m Confessin’ (That I Love You), Blue Skies, Sway, No Moon At All, Dream and I’ll See You In My Dreams.

For more of Krall’s easy listening sounds, you can check out The Very Best of Diana Krall compilation album, which includes the best cuts from her early collections. Of course, because she does them so well, most of those songs are from the great American songbook.

Some of the songs included are: S’ Wonderful, You Go To My Head, Let’s Fall In Love, The Look Of Love, East Of The Sun And West Of The Moon, I’ve Got You Under My Skin, All Or Nothing At All, Little Girl Blue, Only The Lonely and Fly Me To The Moon.

Krall’s Turn Up The Quiet is the No. 1 selling jazz album of the moment. The imported US edition is available in local stores. Other titles in Billboard’s Jazz Chart Top 20 listing are: Main Street Beat by Jackiem Joyner; The Way Of A Woman by Jan Daley; Bona Fide by Julian Vaughn; Parking Lot Symphony by Trombone Shorty; Hudson by DeJohnette/ Grenadier/ Medeski/ Scofield; Day Breaks by Nora Jones; BEL Hommage by Patti LaBelle; Love Is A Battlefield by Maysa.

Bells For The Southside by Roscoe Mitchell; Take Me To The Alley by Gregory Porter; Truth, Liberty & Soul: Live In NYC: The Complete 1982 NPR Jazz Alive! by Jaco Pastorious; Bye Bye Blackbird by Frank Catalano/Jimmy Chamberlin/David Sanborn; Let It Go by Norman Brown; Louie Louie Louie by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy; Small Town by Bill Frisell/Thomas Morgan; Just Funkin’ Around by Pieces Of A Dream; and Lovers by Nels Cline.