Customer Reviews

Quiet Nights

5 star:		(90)
4 star:		(40)
3 star:		(42)
2 star:		(67)
1 star:		(54)

 

 

I have been a big fan of Diana Krall since the mid-1990's, and I own everything she's released under her name except "Stepping Out" and her recent greatest-hits CD. I also love bossa nova. "Quiet Nights" is a decent tribute to that kind of music and is strong in several respects. First, I think the choice of material is pretty good (see the other reviews for a description of the songs). Second, the arrangements by Claus Ogerman are lush and beautiful, as always (listen to Diana's "Look of Love" CD for more great Ogerman arrangements). Third, Diana's piano playing on "Quiet Nights," what there is of it, is tasty and interesting, as always.

What disappointed me here is that Diana adopted a very breathy, whispered singing style for much of this album, and I just don't enjoy that kind of singing. I much prefer the way she sang on her earlier albums, where she used that "breathiness" more sparingly and to good effect. This is something each listener will have to gauge for himself or herself. It's simply a matter of personal taste. In my opinion, "The Look of Love" (2001) is similar in tone but superior to "Quiet Nights." For my taste, the singing approach and the choice of material there is better than on "Quiet Nights." My recommendation is to listen to the samples to determine whether you like this breathy style of singing before you buy, even if you consider yourself a Diana Krall fan.

My record collection is blessed with great Brazilian jazz and bossa nova. From Stan Getz to Antonio Carlos Jobim's Wave to Eliane Elias. It's a tough genre to pull off - to give it that cool, breezy, laid-back, I-wish-I-had-another-Mojito kind of feeling. If done well, the listener is transported to a gorgeous beach with beautiful women and cool mist of ocean spray, spawned by the hip grooves of quiet sophistication. If done poorly, the listener is pushed headfirst into the nearest elevator. I'm still punching the numbers looking for a more exciting floor . . .uh . . . I mean tune. Krall no longer seems to revel in the music. Instead, I get a sense she fell in line behind Tony LiPuma and headed to the studio with a few chords and one-too-many string programs. We witnessed Miles Davis fall from Kind of Blue to struggling through Cindy Lauper tunes late in his career. Krall seems to be on a similar fall from greatness. Let us hope and pray she finds her mark again. This ain't it. Save your money and pick up Eliane Elias "Sings Jobim."

As a longime Diana Krall's fan I am extremely disappointed with the recent effort. She has become so predictably boring: sweet,sleepy sounds, strings--music that is just not jazz and obviously not what Mrs. Krall can do. Her music now is a cup of coffee with a pound of sugar in it. Kenny G anyone?
I have seen Diana Krall Live twice with the Quartet. She is an excellent JAZZ piano player and a great singer. I still consider "Stepping Out" one of her best efforts. Nat King Cole dedication album was great as well as "Love Scenes" and "Only trust your heart" are also great.
What drives Diana to make all of those string infused albums in past few years (except "Girl in the other room") is beyond me. I will not consider getting her next album before I find out what it is.
Meanwhile, I will turn my attention to real jazz singers of today: Patricia Barber, Lavay Smith, Madeleine Peyroux. Has anyone heart of Hope Waits ? Not necessarily a true jazz cd but what a fresh voice. Melody Gardot is another one to pay attention to. And if there aren't any modern female jazz divas to listen to, there is always time for Dinah, Sarah, Billie and Ella. Anita O'Day and Chris Connor are also a good jazz therapy.
I hope to hear some good music from really talented Diana Krall in the future.

The singing, that is. This isn't a terrible album, but it certainly is missing a je ne sais quoi.

Pros: The classy orchestrations remind me of the classic Sinatra-Jobim collaboration. Diana's Jobim-like single-note piano solos are the essence of wit and understated grace.

Cons: Krall's singing has always been her weak point. Technically, her voice sounds good, but that's the problem. It's technically cool and precise, feathery, light, and on key. But it doesn't really touch me, except on personal material such as that found on The Girl In The Other Room. And some of the quieter material from her Paris concert. I'm not feeling it.

Not only that, Quiet Nights is filled with tempos that are maybe just a bit to slow to begin with, and Diana often sounds like she needs to get some sleep or lay off the 'ludes.

You're My Thrill is almost laughably bad, so ineffective is Krall at generating any kind of heat. Her delivery on So Nice sounds like she's doing a run through of the sheet music for the first time. What was she thinking? Not nice at all. Her slinky singing on Hang My Tears Out To Dry shows a little bit of the impishness and playfulness we see in her smile on the CD cover photo. What went wrong on the other songs, I can't guess.

And the orchestrations do tend to get lush to the point of syrupy or schmaltzy in spots. Part of that is used to good effect, but sometimes it goes overboard.

By contrast, Krall shines on Bacharach's Walk On By and How Can You Mend A Broken Heart by the Brothers Gibb. She sounds engaged here, and the arrangements are well thought out. Those two cuts are so good, it's almost shocking how dull some of the rest is. Corcovado (Quiet Nights) is one of my top ten favorite songs of all time, but Krall sleepwalks through the version on this album.

Well, I'm sorry to say this CD is a step backward in her recorded output. Even as a relaxing cocktail music album it pales by comparison to The Look Of Love -- again, with the exception of the Bacharach and Bee Gees cover tunes.

This is just a bit too laid back for my tastes. Krall's music has not been the same since her marriage. If you want great bossa nova then try Eliane Elias' Bossa Nova stories.

"Quiet Nights" is Diana Krall's twelfth album, which marks her first work with the 79 year-old legendary arranger Claus Ogerman (Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim) since 2002's "Live in Paris", and her first studio work with Ogerman since 2001's "The Look of Love".

She may have started out as a jazz pianist/vocalist but these days Diana Krall seems to have ditched any semblance of swing in favour of sickly string arrangements.

Her voice is lush and exquisite but she overdoes the breathiness - to the point that one wonders if a ventilator is required - and sticks too much to indistinguishable, slow bossa novas and ballads.

The result is a florid and bland album that washes over the listener.
My favourite tracks are : "Too Marvelous For Words", "Walk On By", and "So Nice".
The album reaches # 1 of Billboard Top Jazz Albums. Issue date 2009-04-18
Live in Paris
Lazy Afternoon track # 5
Brazil duet with Diana Krall on track # 3
Burt Bacharach Songbook Track "Walk On By"

We expected more from Diana Krall given her history of bringing old jazz standards to life with fresh interpretations and clever improvisations. One has to work hard to make these clasics of Jobim so dull. We can only hope that this is a temporary lull in Diana's otherwise strong career.

Where did Diana go? What happened? After a couple of songs, for me it sounds boring. Of course, this is a matter of taste. She sings as if she was tired. Lacks the bright you can find in earlier albums. Disappointed.

Sappy pop with mushy strings and no soul. These overdone arrangements may be necessary for singers with limitations in range or conveying emotion. Diana doesn't suffer from these limitations. What happened to the renowned jazz singer? I hope this is a once and only and that she'll get back to what she does better than anyone else. She excels in the trio and quartet format, where she can swing and emote.

I have to admit I read several extremely negative reviews on Ms. Krall's latest effort, "Quiet Nights", before making my purchase last week. Like many, I pretty much own everything she's ever done, and have never been disappointed. Was this going my first let down?? Those reviews sure had me worried.
If you an ardent fan, worry not, because Diana once again delivers. If you like a soothing female voice, singing well arranged numbers backed by magnificent strings, then you cannot go wrong with "Quiet Nights". Personally, I even prefer the return of the strings section vs. the brassier tone of her most recent efforts. I also like the fact Diana does quite a bit of silky piano work on each song.
Forget these reviews. "Quiet Nights" is a winner.