Customer Reviews

The Girl In The Other Room

5 star:		(119)
4 star:		(49)
3 star:		(34)
2 star:		(41)
1 star:		(74)

 

 

Hard to believe after listening to this outstanding album that a few years ago Diana Krall was tweaking the 1940s-vintage Nat King Cole trio formula, sounding more often than not like a breath of fresh air inside a traditionalist retro-jazz mode. After several similiar albums Diana showed she was willing to break out of her musical comfort zone with the orchestrated bossa-driven THE LOOK OF LOVE. Yet that out-of-the-box experience hardly prepared us for THE GIRL IN THE OTHER ROOM, which for the most part offers all-new material, much of it composed by Diana Krall herself (often in collaboration with her brilliant spouse Elvis Costello). It's only a little exaggeration to say she's gone from the Y1K to the Y2K great American songbook.

The LOOK orchestrations are gone, the small jazz combo format is back but with drums included full-time. Overall the sound retains the attractive jazz elements of her past (swing, improvisations), but at times takes a tougher, bluesier stance. Diana's voice takes the lead in this area, sounding slightly worn but in a good, emotively-compelling manner that matches the depths of the excellent compositions. Speaking of the sophisticated tunes, without exception they manage to twist melodies and lyrics in fresh directions. Amazingly, the sum total of this disc bends the rules without breaking the spirit of Diana's best past efforts, managing to be instantly attractive yet certain to reward repeated listens no doubt for years to come.

The album mixes mid-tempo tunes with elegant ballads, no less bold and artistically successful as recent eclectic CDs by the likes of Cassandra Wilson. Furthermore, as much as I loved all of Miles Davis' transitions throughout his career, I admit that he tended to lose fans along his journey. But at this point, I'd say that Diana's managed to evolve in a manner that will keep her long-time fans on board while adding new ones. In fact, speaking of Miles I was thinking this may be Diana's KIND OF BLUE (relatively speaking). Overall, THE GIRL... shows off Diana Krall completing the transition from exquisite interpreter to an artist with an original, timeless vision of her own. Now, if anyone has a different opinion and can offer constructive criticism as opposed to a string of insults, I'd be interested in reading it.

Many Diana Krall fans have come to appreciate her renditions of classic jazz standards. They may be disappointed because this CD contains unfamiliar, mostly original material by Diana (with Elvis Costello, her husband, collaborating on some songs). "Stop this world" Mose Allison, "Temptation" Tom Watts, "Black Crow" Joni Mitchell, "Almost Blue" Elvis Costello (1982) and "I'm pulling through" are not by Diana and are also not that familiar. But after initial listening it grows on you and the more you play it the more you come to appreciate it. The lyrics, the combo backing, Diana's piano technique, and her phrasing with that incomparable voice all contribute to what I believe will come to be considered a classic. This is a fabulous collection of songs by one of the top female jazz singers today!

The big difference between this collection and previous Diana Krall CD's involves the range of emotions she elicits with these songs. For instance, "Abandoned Masquerade," is distinctly depressing, and "Black Crow," is as bleak as a snow filled, black and white, winter landscape at twilight. In the past Diana Krall has stuck to top notch classic songs with a warm, engaging emotional feel. A change to a broader emotional pallet was bound to trip up some of her long term fans, and hence the many negative reviews from disappointed fans who expected an outing similar to her many excellent previous productions.

For various reasons, some people don't want to hear songs that are depressing, and many people have a particularly hard time with the cold, alienated emotions found in a song like "Black Crow." The other side of the coin, of course, is that many people do experience a wide range of emotions in their lives, and it is exciting, moving and engaging to encounter songs that mirror their feelings.

Diana Krall has the sensibility and the musical talent to deliver these songs. This album evidences the continuing broadening of the emotional range that her voice can convey. I would say that this broadening has been in evidence in each of her releases, but it has become especially clear in the last two studio albums and in her recent live DVD's. It will, however, be disconcerting to some to hear the explicitly ragged, cracked vocal sound that she uses to such powerful effect on some of these songs.

Usually when I see a very mixed set of reviews like the one's found here, I tend to think that the artist has slipped, often quite seriously. In those cases, the good reviews are from the die hards who refuse to abandon a favorite, and the bad reviews are from the folks who are willing to accept reality.

In this case, however, I think Diana Krall has really opened up new and exciting emotional and melodic terrain that she has never risked in the past. There is nothing wrong with having a taste for the wonderful albums she has made over the years. However, if you are willing to explore some rough and challenging emotional terrain, you are likely to agree with me when I say that this is her best, and most satisfying album.

"No guarantees: The Enhanced CD content is provided to the purchaser without guarantees or warranties of any kind. Universal Music Group, Diana Krall, and Verve Music Group shall not be liable for any direct, indirect or consequential damages arising out of the use OR INABILITY [emphasis mine] to use this CD." This is the warning that the record company put INSIDE the album, where you can't see it until you have opened it. Sneaky, huh? This album probably will play in a normal CD player. It might play on your computer, but then again it might not. If not, you're outta luck, Buster. There is no warning on the outside.

The Enhanced CD version of The Girl In the Other Room may interfere with the computer programs you normally use to play this disc, to compress the files so you can put it on your iPod or other personal music player, or to put the songs on your hard drive where you can conveniently listen at any time. "Enhanced CD" -- which is how the disc is labelled on the back cover -- sounds like something wonderful. In fact the functionality of the disc is crippled, not enhanced.

If you can actually listen to this CD on your equipment, you will find that this is an artistic departure for Diana Krall. These are not jazz standards, but new pop tunes written by Diana and her husband Elvis Costello mixed with covers of other singer-songwriters.

I believe this album provides a window to Diana's soul. Before, she was merely singing standards in her well-crafted way, but now she is FEELING music. Because this is such a change from her past albums, many people who only want to hear her sing Cole Porter standards or Gershwin tunes or other jazz age classics, will be bewildered and disappointed. Others, those with a wider range of tastes, those who appreciate a heartfelt performance of a good song in any genre, might find this new music a revelation, particularly the second half of the album. Her exquisite phrasing and piano accompaniment are still intact, and her fellow players provide gold medal-calibre chamber jazz backup.

The title track is a standout, as are Narrow Daylight, I'm Coming Through, and Departure Bay. Her soaring, pulsing cover of Joni Mitchell's Black Crow is the epitome of jazz. Joni should be very pleased with this new interpretation.

My own inclination is to give the music 5 stars. The recording quality is superb -- I'll give that at least 4 stars.

As for Enhanced CDs, they are a scourge on the musical landscape. Obviously Verve presented the album with this technology to discourage people from ripping copies and MP3s and distributing them on the internet. But it will also discourage people from putting it on their portable music players, or on their computer hard drives for easy access. To me, that says that Verve does not trust its customers to responsibly use the products they purchase. Verve does not trust the integrity of Diana Krall's fans. As someone who has purchased quite a few Verve jazz CDs in the past two years, their vote of no confidence is galling. I resent any disc that attempts to automatically load programs on my computer without my express permission. I wonder if the CD/SACD hybrid version of the album would allow the full function that we have come to expect from industry standard compact discs.

I applaud Diana Krall in her quest for artistic betterment. Her record company, however, is a Tricky Richard.

Average 3 stars?! Please, you've got to be joking! I hope that all who read these reviews will not let that stop you from purchasing an awesome, intelligent & deep jazz album!
I have been a fan of Diana Krall for some time & love her versions of some of the best jazz standards ever written. Little did I know how much of a talent she is creatively as a songwriter!
The first time I listened to this CD, I admit, my ears were not prepared for what I heard. (Thankfully I read on amazon that much of the songs she wrote with hubby Elvis Costello. Which by the way increased my interest in the CD!) But reading the lyrics while listening to the music, I found this to be an exceptional CD which I have listened to over & over again...and not during dinner/cocktail parties!
This CD never puts me to sleep, yet when I need to relax it does get me there like her other CDs...but with more of an emotional & inspired impact. I highly recommend this disc! It is pure pleasure to listen to such creativity coming from 2 musical geniuses, Diana & Elvis (what a pair!). Not to mention one of the best covers of Joni Mitchell (Black Crow)! Diana delivers this with such passion that I wish she would do an entire CD of Joni's songs! Amazing!!!
Thank you Diana!

Maybe it's not fair to compare Costello/Krall with all the songwriters of the classic songs on her previous records, but they are simply not playing in the same league. However, this record still (of course) has Diana's voice all over the place which makes this record worth buying, even if I think her voice is better suited for jazz standards than Costello-pop. If you're looking for classic jazz-standard songs, get some of her other records. When you've got them all, then get this.

If you are a fan of Costello, this is something for you too, the songs where he has made a contribution are instantly recognizable. Anyhow, it IS nice to see that she did choose to make something slightly different than before!

If only more top selling artists had the guts to step away from a proven formula... especially at a time when singing standards seems to be the surefire way of selling large volumes of records(even Cyndi Lauper's doing it, for god's sake!) But this is not just a brave album, it's genuinely a quality one.

Instead of simply filling the record with catchy but predictable tunes, Diana experiments beautifully with harmonic structure, and plays around with some solid lyrics. It's more than background music; this one actually demands you to listen, and I for one find something new and exciting in it with each spin. It may be diluted jazz, but if listening to Diana convinces people to pick up a Chet Baker, Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, or Herbie Hancock record (as it did in my case), then more power to her. Yep, Mrs. Costello certainly turned this 22-year-old into a genuine jazz fan.

I'm witholding a star for some of the Krall/ Costello compositions that I think would sound better as performed by Elvis rather than Diana, but I am looking forward to bigger and better things in their future collaborations.

One of the notable pleasures of great artists is enjoying their creative development. Diana Krall's previous work can be very much enjoyed without insisting that new performances simply repeat what has gone before. I disagree strongly with the reviewer from Nashville, TN who claims that the nays have it. If one does not insist on hearing with preset expectations, one will find this new collection both delightful and truly rewarding. From pieces in more familiar style like Temptation and Love me Like a Man to new territory such as Narrow Daylight, I'm Coming Through, and the remarkable Departure Bay, this offering is worth both appreciation and many listenings. Singing and at the piano, Krall is wonderful. The ensemble playing could not be better. Jazz has always combined the capacities for deep appreciation of the past and openness to new directions.

When talking about this album, I think of a tortured analogy once used by CBS commentator Andy Rooney, something like, "I like women's hair. I like butter. But I don't like finding a strand of women's hair in my butter." Well, I love Diana Krall. I admire Elvis Costello. But the combination of Diana Krall and Elvis Costello doesn't work, and her willingness to collaborate with her husband indicates that, at some level, she doesn't understand what makes her a great artist.

Jazz is not about lyrics in the way that many rock performers think of them. Elvis Costello's lyric writing is firmly in the tradition of Bob Dylan--wordy, poetic, complex, allusive, clever. It has more in common with T.S. Eliot than it does with Cole Porter. For performers in the Dylan tradition, music often takes a back seat to the lyrics. Thus, it is uncommon to find a jazz performer covering a Bob Dylan tune. But it is very common to see a Bob Dylan lyric published as if it were a piece of poetry.

A great lyric in a pop standard adheres to a totally different aesthetic. While it can be clever, it can't be something that you need to read on a piece of paper in order to understand. But those are the kinds of lyrics that Elvis Costello specializes in. Sometimes, he can be absolutely brilliant. But he's also capable of being frustratingly dense, and too many of his collaborations with his wife on this album fall into that category.

Krall's music to accompany these lyrics suffers from some of the same problems that Costello's music suffers from--an excessively artful wandering from recognizable melodies, a forced quality where it feels like her reach is exceeding her grasp. Not every song is equally bad, but overall, you hear these collaborations and feel no desire to hear them a second time.

Fortunately, there are a few tunes on this disk that redeem it, and almost make it worth buying. Her take on "Stop This World" by Mose Allison is a great direction--I think more blues from Krall sounds like an excellent idea. And her version of "Love Me Like A Man" is a tour de force.

Diana Krall is a world-class jazz artist who combines the pianistic skills of an Oscar Peterson with a vocal style that is utterly unique. She is a brilliant intepreter of the jazz/pop standards, and her interpretations have created new standards. But she is not, nor should she try to be, an avant-garde artist, an auteur like Elvis Costello, or a synthesizer of disparate styles.

I've been a fan of Diana Krall since I first heard her excellent renditions of old classics on previous cd releases. Her albums have never disappointed me. Her lyrics, deep and emotional, not spappy--revealing. The first time I heard Krall moved me. This CD is a great addition to her catalog. I also think it has some of the best "sounding" music I have heard on any CD. Her voice is simple and pure with a live quality and piano is set forward like it should be. This is new stuff, not pop, not jazz or blues just the best of the three styles.