Hey, Community gang, I’m working up a new Community-driven playlist for next month with a companion blog. I’m always so impressed with your passionate music posts, and I thought it’d be fun to share your thoughts on some of the prominent artists and selections I’ll feature. So then…drumroll
All submissions are welcomed: subjective soliloquies, impassioned impressions, obsessive odes, feverish free-form fusillades, scintillating scholarly shoutouts, academic asides, expert essays, first experiences from your personal music journeys — it’s your thing, do whatcha wanna do. I’ll run them; there are no wrong answers.
Post here in the thread, or feel free to message me at @jamie. Please note that sharing means you’re okay with us publishing your wonderful music comments on our blog, etc.
Never seen the appeal of her myself, for me far better Jazz singers out there. The standard Audiophile choices of artist and like most of these she’s all are a bit meh for me.
I listen to Diana Krall every time that I go to an audio store to listen to speakers. Rarely at home, though Live in Paris has some wonderful wonderful moments. I would definitely love to see her live, but sonic & technical qualities of recording aside, while her voice is splendiferous, she’s not my musical cup of tea. Though I like vocal jazz a great deal.
Have a listen to her singing Danny Boy with the Chieftains (on their Tears of Stone album). Surely a cringefest you’d think. Not a bit of it, haunting music, an absolutely beautiful interpretation. On YouTube here
I’m often intrigued at how our musical tastes diverge, even as a passionate group of aficionados. For my own part, I love the music of Diana Krall. We listen to her often. Indeed, according to Roon she’s places number 13th on my all time most played artists (to my shock she places after Melody Gardot who is also wonderful but much less consistent across albums IMO).
She (Krall) generally has interesting vocal articulation, a smooth pleasing voice, great song choices, and her old works have phenomenal piano. It’s like aural aloe Vera.
I think that because the albums are generally so well recorded that many dismiss Diana Krall’s music as audiophile noodling - killed by over exposure in Hi-fi showrooms and audio shows.
I would beg to differ on that and those early albums like Love Scenes and the Nat “King” Cole tribute. I believe some of the finest vocal jazz albums ever made - and the drumless trio is a lovely nod to her compatriot and hero Oscar Peterson.
I like her later albums too, even when she’s just being a singer and exploring pop material such as in Wallflower.
Sometimes I do sense a little misogyny in criticism of her. (Not here though.)
Oh boy, Diana Krall, don’t get me started. She really touches my nervous system and not in a good way. It is the most utterly boring elevator music I can possibly imagine. I stopped attending audio shows just because she seems to be omnipresent in every room. I really don’t get it what the attraction in her, it is lousy, flat, lifeless, and completely devoid of any real tension or surprise. Everything feels smoothed over to the point where there is nothing left to grab onto. It just drifts by, politely, safely, endlessly unremarkable. I keep waiting for a moment that actually says something, that takes a risk, but it never comes. It is like sonic wallpaper, designed not to offend anyone and in the process failing to excite anyone either. I honestly don’t understand why this became the default demo material, because if anything it makes systems sound more alike rather than revealing what they can really do.
